Much Ado About Lucca
by ZealPropht
Summary: Marle won't marry till Lucca does. What can Crono do other than marry Lucca off first? Chapter 10 added!
1. The SetUp

**Much Ado About Lucca**

By ZealPropht

_**Chapter 1: The Set Up**_

_**1001 A.D.--**_

Crono's mom was up at the usual time every morning, having set her alarm clock for seven-thirty on the dot. Her normal routine consisted of dusting, watering the household plants, fixing breakfast for her sleepy-headed son, and feeding the cats. Poor things. Without her, they would be skin and bones by now.

But this morning was different. Her alarm did not go off, and as such, she awoke much later than she intended. Three whole hours later, to be precise, and that hadn't happened in more years than she could remember.

Quick as a wink, she jumped out of bed, washed up for the day, and slipped on her house dress and apron. "My, my, my," she muttered to herself, brushing her hair and putting it into a neat bun at the back of her head. "I wonder what happened? Is my clock broken? Maybe I should have Taban look at it for me."

As soon as she opened her bedroom door, she knew something was strange. The house was too quiet.

The cats were sprawled over various pieces of furniture or cleaning themselves in a patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor. None of them seemed the slightest bit distressed, which was a rarity. Having gone without food for the entire night, they should have been meowing and circling her legs like vultures until she fed them their morning meal.

The woman cocked her head slightly, her forehead wrinkling in thought. "Maybe they caught a few mice?" The smallest of the cats, a nasty-tempered lavender one, yawned widely at her and started to lick its backside. "Little imp," she cooed, scooping it up in a hug. It suffered her petting just long enough for her to loosen her grip before it hopped out of her arms and hid under the kitchen table, hissing. Whatever had placated the cats had to be a good thing, Crono's mom decided. It just meant one less chore for her to do.

Swifter than usual, she watered the house plants and gave a gasp when she got to the last flowerpot. Her prized tulips were gone! All that remained were the stems, broken halfway down and oozing clear liquid. She looked around the room at the cats, especially the lavender one, but none of them looked guilty enough to be the culprit. Besides, the stems were torn, not chewed, and she doubted that the animals would eat something so potentially poisonous. That only left Crono as the culprit.

"But why would he do something like that? He's never harmed my plants before..." Now she was worried. Was Crono...mad at her about something? Lord knows, she tried to be a good mother to him. When he was around, anyway. But he was always off on an adventure, like his father, God rest his soul. "I'll just have to ask him when he gets up."

Crono would be famished, and flower-wrecker or not, she loved her son. He would have a warm meal to start off the day. She scrambled up two eggs with butter and seasoning, adding four slices of bacon into the skillet. The mouthwatering aroma enticed the cats, many who purred at her feet, hoping for something to fall on the floor for them to nibble on. When she was done, she squeezed some fresh orange juice into a glass, straining out the pulp and seeds. She set the meal down on the table, catching the purple cat as it attempted to hop onto one of the chairs.

"Oh, no you don't," she scolded it. "That's Crono's breakfast, not yours. And don't bother glaring at me, kitty. Go run along and play with the other cats." She set the cat down, and it stayed where she left it, eyeing the table and the plate with thwarted desire.

The woman ascended the stairs that led to her son's bedroom. He was probably still asleep, that lazy boy. But he was her only son, and she loved him, so she tolerated his bad habits.

"Crono! It's almost afternoon. Time to get up, sweetie!

She blinked in shock, unable to fully comprehend what she was seeing. Not only was her son not in the room, but his bed was made! And he had fed the cats, if their half-empty dishes could be believed. Furthermore, his katana was resting on the pegs above the door, so he hadn't gone adventuring again.

Now things were starting to add up.

Returning to her bedroom, the woman checked her clock. The alarm was set for seven-thirty on the dot as usual. However, someone had taken the liberty of turning off the ringer. Setting the clock back on her night stand, she had a pretty good idea who that someone had been.

"Now, where has that boy run off to this time?"

Shaking her head in mild annoyance, she returned to the kitchen and caught the lavender cat in the process of snitching a bacon slice. When it saw her, it hissed.

"Oh, go ahead," she relented.

The cat looked smug as it hopped off the table and paraded its prize in front of the others.

Settling down in front of the cooling plate of bacon and eggs, Crono's mom helped herself to them with a sigh. What could have been so important that it required sneaking about under a mother's nose?

--

"My mom is going to kill me when I get back," Crono moaned, looking at the tulips he had filched that very morning. They were wrapped in some yellow tissue paper and tied off with a large blue ribbon that he had bought at the general store.

"Aw, calm down," Lucca soothed. "It's for a good cause, and when she hears what it is, she's gonna flip!"

Crono shuffled alongside his lifelong friend. "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of." He straightened his clothing, wincing as it pulled one way or tightened in another. "Is this get-up really necessary? I haven't worn this outfit in years."

"You want to make a good impression, right?" Lucca adjusted her glasses and held up one index finger wisely. "A man's merit may be best judged by his appearance." She giggled. "My mom taught me that. It's an old proverb."

"You're saying that girls judge men by what they're wearing?" Crono looked dubious. "I don't see how wearing a fancy outfit has any bearing on a person's personality."

"Well, what it really means is that you have to stand out for a girl to notice you."

"But Lucca, Marle _has_ noticed me. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here this morning." Crono adjusted his attire again. "And if she liked me in my normal clothes, then why do I have to dress up?"

"Today is an important day! You can't just treat it as if it's any old morning. And she's not just a regular person like you and me. She's Princess Nadia, heir to our entire kingdom, or have you forgotten that little fact?" Lucca stretched, breathing deep of the fresh spring air. "Besides, what's wrong with putting on a little show, once and a while? Marle likes flashy things, so she'll appreciate that you took the effort to look nice today. Especially since you'll have to be talking with You-Know-Who first."

Crono grimaced. "Yeah, and I'm not looking forward to that. Marle's father and I have never really gotten along."

The two friends stopped at the edge of the forest surrounding the royal castle, resting in the shade the trees provided. The sun was warm, the grass was greener than they had seen in years, and the sky was cloudless and blue.

"A wonderful day for the inevitable," Crono gulped, looking back at the tulips.

Lucca took a drink from her water canteen. "You make it sound as if you're marching to your doom," she laughed. She held out her water. "Want some?"

"You never know. I just might be." Crono accepted the canteen and took a swig. "I have no idea how the king is going to react. For all I know, I might find myself back in the dungeon with my head in the guillotine again." He handed the water back.

Lucca closed off the top and refastened the container to her belt. She grinned. "If that happens, Lucca the Great will have to come rescue you again!"

Her friend couldn't help but smile, too. "What would I ever do without you?"

"Ain't that the truth," the inventor giggled immodestly. But Crono could tell she sincerely appreciated the comment by the faint blush she tried to hide by walking on ahead. "C'mon, slowpoke! The early bird catches the worm, you know."

He shook his head, still smiling, and followed after her.

Castle Guardia hadn't changed much in four-hundred years. It was pretty much the same as it had been during the Middle Ages. It was built of solid stone blocks that had been painstakingly carved from Truce Canyon and hauled all the way back to the building site. Damages done by the Mystics during their long battle with the Humans had been repaired with newer white rock to fill in the holes. The pennants were also newer, and they bore the symbol of the current king of Guardia Kingdom.

Two guards stood stoic at the foot of the grand staircase that led to the throne room as Crono and Lucca entered the castle. Their uniforms were simple, unlike the heavy armor worn back in Frog's time.

"Hi, guys!" Lucca chirped. "Keep up the good work!"

The guards smiled at her, but otherwise didn't break their at-attention stances.

Lucca and Crono came to visit often enough, so they had become rather friendly with the duo. Lucca always made it a point to say hello to them. Crono wasn't sure he understood why, but he suspected it had something to do with their last bad run-in with the palace authorities.

The throne room was as auspicious as ever. The lords and ladies of the court had yet to manifest themselves, as they were probably just now getting out of bed. The Chancellor was there, however, writing out the day's schedule.

"You two are here rather early," he commented without looking up. His pen continued to scratch the paper secured to his clipboard. The old man was a very short, very temperamental person who no one but the king seemed to like or trust. Even after it was revealed that the previous Chancellor had been a fake, the attitude between the impostor and the real deal hadn't changed much. "I expect you're here to see the king."

Crono blinked, then looked suspicious. "How did you know?"

The old man smirked, and it wasn't a pleasant expression. "Dear boy, not much goes on in this kingdom that I am not aware of." He scribbled down something. "Besides, you're in the throne room and Princess Nadia's chambers are nowhere near here. I should think that your motives for visiting would be obvious."

Lucca gritted her teeth but was determined to be polite. "Since you know so much, where can we find the king?"

"His Majesty is upstairs taking his breakfast."

"Great. Thanks," the girl replied. "Let's go, Crono."

As the two started on past, the Chancellor spoke up again. "And who gave you permission to just barge in on His Majesty like that?" Now the old man looked up from his writing, and his smile was bordering on wolfish. "I take it that this isn't an emergency? Or is another monster from the sky devouring the world again?"

"You still don't believe us about that, do you?" Crono's face was stony.

"What I believe and don't believe is not the issue here, young man," the old man sniffed, changing the subject. "You'll have to wait until His Majesty graces you with his presence. Until that time, why don't you make yourselves useful by cleaning up that mess in the basement?"

"'That mess,' that you're referring to, just happens to be the parts of the Epoch!" Lucca growled. "And for your information, grandpa, it was _your_ idea to house it there! Wasn't that the whole reason the king funded the construction of an additional wing for a boarding dock?"

"Only because you hooligans were tearing all over the countryside in that thing, taking the princess goodness knows where! At least this way, I can keep an eye on you three and make sure the princess starts behaving like a respectable young woman instead of a bratty tomboy!"

"Who're you callin' a hooligan, you old buzzard?!" Lucca flared, putting her hands on her hips and looming over the shorter adult.

"That's Chancellor Buzzard to you!" the old man shot back, standing on his tiptoes to be at nearly eye-level with the purple-haired girl.

"By thunder! _What_ is all the commotion about?" Everyone turned to see their royal lord exiting the stairwell that led to his chambers. "Chancellor, Lucca, what is the meaning of all this shouting? I could hear you clear up the stairs." King Guardia was an imposing figure, standing quite tall in his costly garments and gold crown. Right now, he was turning the full force of his royal glower in their direction.

Lucca bowed. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, King Guardia, but this _buzzard_ here was getting on my nerves!" She glared at the old man.

"Lucca, don't be so rude," Crono urged, glancing nervously at their liege.

"Oh, woe!" The Chancellor stumbled away, leaning heavily against one of the walls. "My poor frail heart... To be called such a name by a child! What has the world come to, when such shrewish words can be uttered at the elderly?" He dabbed at his eyes with the tip of his long beard. "I do declare, my poor heart is breaking in sadness because of it!"

King Guardia rubbed his eyes with one hand and sighed. "For pity's sake, Lucca. Apologize to him or he'll keep at this all day."

"I'd rather eat a...a _frog!_" She declared, spinning on her heel. "I'm going to see Marle now. Good day!" And with that, she stomped out of the room.

The king moved to his throne and sat down heavily. "You know," he said to Crono, "if she were anyone else, I wouldn't let her get away with that. Unfortunately, she's the one who I have to thank for getting to have toast in the morning, rather than cold, plain bread." He made a sardonic face and placed his right hand over his heart. "Ah, the wonders of science. And Chancellor, you can stop moping around over there. It's not winning you any sympathy."

The old man huffed. "Very well, sire." He took a seat on the steps that led to the throne and continued with his writing.

"Now Crono, what brings you here this morning?" the king inquired.

Now that the moment had come, the redheaded youth found himself tongue tied. He had faced down some of the toughest villains in his life, and here he was faltering in front of his future father-in-law.

"Um..." Crono began intelligently. "You see, that is..."

King Guardia frowned. "What is it? Speak up, boy!"

Crono clutched the bouquet to his chest, bowed as deep as his back would allow him, and said everything in a frenzied rush. "Can I marry your daughter, sir?! I really, really love her and I promise to take good care of her. She'll never want for anything- I mean, of course not, she's the princess- but I'll find a job and make her the happiest girl in the world! See, I even brought her these flowers as a symbol of my love!" He thrust them out towards the king and nearly dropped them. "I also promise to have many sons so that your noble bloodline can continue. Of course, I mean, that is if she _wants_ kids, because I'd never do anything that she'd disagree with. Or you for that matter. So please, _please_ consider my offer first over her other suitors and don't chop off my head if you don't like me, because I'm sorry if I offended you with my request!"

Crono realized that he was babbling like an idiot, so he shut his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting the explosion of anger that he was positive would follow. To the side, he heard the Chancellor snicker softly.

_Crap. That was brilliant of me. I should have rehearsed with Lucca first._ As the seconds stretched out, Crono felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, not to mention that he was still bowing and it was making him lightheaded. _Any moment now, he's going to summon the guards and I'm going to be "escorted" to the dungeon. Then Mom will be brought down to see me one last time, and she'll cry and ask me what the hell I was thinking, trying to marry the princess._

"Rise, Crono. I would look at the face of my son-to-be."

The swordsman cautiously lifted his head, unsure if he had heard correctly. "Um...sire?"

The king's face was solemn, but not angry. "Since the death of my beloved wife," he began, "I have done my best to raise Nadia alone. The task hasn't been easy, since she likes to thwart me at every turn with her antics." He half-smiled. "But I suppose that is just one of the inherent dangers of parenting. I know that it was wrong of me to try and control her life. Even children need to grow up sometime, and I guess I've just been having a hard time letting her go. Nadia is the last bit of my wife's legacy that she left to me when she departed this world."

"It can't have been easy, sire," the Chancellor consoled. It appeared that he had stopped his writing and was now playing a game of Exes and Ohs with himself.

"Indeed, it has been," Guardia agreed. "But, we must move on with our lives." He looked sternly at Crono. "My daughter has chosen you as her suitor, and it is not my place to interfere. So long as she is happy, then I am content with her choice. However, should you make my little girl cry for any reason, I will exert my royal status and annul your marriage to her, then slap you in irons faster than you can scream. Are we clear, young man?"

Crono nodded quickly. "I completely understand."

"Very well. Off with you now before those flowers wilt."

"Yes, sir!" Crono bowed again and exited as fast as he could. As the double doors closed behind him, he lingered on the stairs to let it all sink in. Her father had agreed. He was now free to ask Marle if she would have him as her husband.

He walked down the stairs as if in a dream until he was in between the two guards. They glanced at him in curiosity, noticing his thunderstruck expression and wondering what had gone on in the throne room. Lucca had already come charging out, madder than a wet hen, and now Crono looked as if he'd received the shock of his life.

"I'm...getting married," the young man said slowly, testing out the statement. "I'm...getting married." It sounded even better the second time he heard it. "I'm getting married!" A huge grin spread across his face. He flung open his arms wide, spinning to face the two guards. "I'M GETTING MARRIED!" With a whoop and a fist pump to the air, one very excited Crono took off for his girlfriend's room at top speed, leaving the two guards to shake their heads at each other with knowing smiles.

Never a dull day at the castle.


	2. The Conflict

**Much Ado About Lucca **

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 2: The Conflict**

Princess Nadia, or Marle as she preferred to be called, lazily swung her legs over the edge of her canopied bed. She was laying on her back, one of her lacy pink pillows clutched to her chest as she stared upside down at her guest. Beside her, Lucca was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Did you really call the Chancellor that?" The princess giggled. "He must have gotten so mad!"

"Oh, you bet he did!" Lucca pushed her glasses higher on her nose. "That old fart, thinking he can boss me around and get away with it. As if, right?" The two girls shared a wicked laugh. "But you know," Lucca went on, "Crono looked scared out of his mind. He's afraid your dad's gonna kill him, or something."

"So, do you think he's going to propose to me today?"

There was something about Marle's voice that drew Lucca up short. She looked down at her friend, concerned. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Marle chewed her lower lip, looking away. "No, not really."

"I mean, I thought you two loved each other. Am I wrong?"

The princess rolled over on her stomach and kicked her legs back and forth. "We do. But...well, I don't want things to change just yet. I'm just happy that the two of us are together and that the world is safe now. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I have you, and Crono, and my dad and I are finally talking to each other again."

Lucca took off her glasses and inspected the lenses. Deciding that they were in need of cleaning, she breathed on them and wiped them off on her shirt. "So, what's the problem?"

Marle shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I don't want to move forward yet. It just means that I'm one step closer to becoming Queen Nadia, and if I know my dad, he'll abdicate as soon as he thinks I'm securely settled." She made a face, pulling out the elastic band holding her ponytail in place. Her golden hair spilled over her shoulders in soft waves as she shook it out. "I know that's what Dad is planning. He says that he wants me to have my own life, but he's still trying to control it. He just wants me to stop having fun and take over the throne for him."

"You'll have to become queen some day, whether you like it or not," Lucca pointed out, replacing her glasses. "Turn around. I wanna brush your hair." As Marle got her brush from the vanity across the room, Lucca stretched. "I think it's every dad's wish to see his little girl get married and have kids and lead a normal, respectable life."

"Is your dad the same way, Lucca?"

The inventor laughed. "Who, him? Nah! He's too busy building his latest inventions to really care what I'm doing. I mean, sure, he loves me. But Mom is always so hard on him because he'd rather have me stay home and invent things with him than help me find a boyfriend. And really, it's okay by me that he won't."

"Why is that?" The princess returned, handing Lucca the brush and sitting on the edge of the bed in front of her.

Her friend lifted the heavy mass of butter-gold hair in one hand and started to brush with the other. "Because I don't plan on ever getting married."

"What? Why not?"

"Eh, I have my reasons."

"Oooh, I want to know! Please, Lucca?"

The inventor smiled. "They're going to sound really dumb to you," she warned.

"I don't care! Spill it!"

The princess' long, silken hair parted easily under the boar-bristles of the brush and it gave Lucca a chance to think. How could she explain? "Okay, you know how you don't like having your dad tell you what to do? It's kind of the same way. I don't want some guy trying to tell me to stop inventing. To just be a housewife with four kids and a dog isn't for me. I never want to have to give up my dreams, for anyone."

Marle leaned into the brush, letting it massage her scalp with each pass. "That makes sense. It's not dumb at all."

"There's more."

"Oh? I'm sorry. Please continue."

Lucca set the brush aside, parting her friend's hair into three sections before starting to braid it. "Another reason, is that I don't think I'm ready for that type of relationship. I haven't even had a boyfriend yet! I can't be thinking about marriage when I'm not even sure what I'm going to be doing tomorrow, let alone the rest of my life!"

"That's exactly how I feel!" Marle half turned, trying to see over her shoulder. "Crono and I have only known each other for a year. Isn't it too soon to be making vows? I don't even know his favorite colors, for crying out loud!"

"Blue and green," Lucca replied absently. She continued to braid. "Promise you won't blow a gasket if I tell you a secret?"

"What's a gasket?"

"It's a... Oh, never mind. You can't get upset at me about this, okay?"

The princess nodded as best she could without getting her hair pulled. "All right. Go ahead."

Lucca chewed the side of her cheek, blushing, even though Marle couldn't see it. "I've been totally in love with Crono since we were little," she started. "And I always hoped that him and I would get together, someday. I think that was what our parents hoped, too."

"Oh! Lucca, I'm so sorry! I didn't know!" The other girl turned around, placing the rubber band on the tip of her braid to keep it from coming loose. Her pretty face held sadness in it, along with quite a bit of dismay. "You should have said something earlier! I would never have taken him away from you if I had known that."

But Lucca waved her hands. "No, no! Don't be sorry! It was my fault for never making a move on him. And besides, I know he never saw me as anything more than a friend. I'm okay with that. Really!" She reached out and put her hands on Marle's shoulders. "Hey, don't look so down. I'm not angry, or bitter, or anything like that. I'm glad that you two got together. I love you both, and I just want you guys to be happy, okay?"

The princess placed her hands on Lucca's wrists. "You're too nice," she said. "If it had been me, I would have thrown a fit."

"That's true. Knowing you, you'd be screaming at the top of your lungs and hurling vases everywhere!"

Marle glared. "How can you be making jokes at a time like this?"

"Because it's not a big deal!" Lucca got up to put the brush away. "You're taking this badly, and you promised not to get upset if I told you, too. The way I see it, you win some, you lose some. I just haven't been lucky enough to find the right guy yet." She set the brush on the vanity and looked at her reflection. "I mean, I'm pretty enough, right? And even if I'm not, I have more brains than most everyone else." She blinked, realizing what she had just said. "Er, that is-"

"No, it's true," Marle agreed with a firm nod of her head. "You're the smartest person I know. You're kind, friendly, dependable, fun, a complete genius-"

"Now you're exaggerating. But thanks." Lucca sat down on the bed again, resuming her previous position. "What I was trying to say, though, is that I need some time to get over Crono before I start trying to find someone new." She giggled. "Maybe I should just invent the perfect man. Someone smart like me, who works hard, can take directions- stop laughing, I'm serious- and is completely devoted to me."

The other girl couldn't help but chuckle. "You've just described Robo to the letter. Maybe he's your perfect guy?"

Lucca busted up. "You brat!" She grabbed the pillow Marle had been holding and smacked her in the arm with it.

"You know it!" The princess grabbed a second pillow and smacked Lucca back. Pretty soon, the two girls were having a pretty intense pillow fight, laughing and shrieking the entire time, even going so far as to chase each other around the room. "I give up! I give up!" Marle cried, holding her sides. "Ow, hold on. I've laughed too much. I have a cramp."

"Whew! That was fun." The inventor plopped down on the floor, smoothing out the wrinkles she had put into the pillow from holding it so tightly.

"It looked like it."

The two girls looked to the doorway, startled. Crono was standing there, a grin on his boyish face.

"How long have you been there?" Lucca asked, shooting a glance at Marle. She hoped that he hadn't overheard what she had said to the other girl.

"I just got here," he replied, and she knew it was the truth. Crono wasn't the type to eavesdrop if he could help it, and even if he did, he was a terrible liar. His face was just too expressive. Besides that, if he ever had a guilty conscience, it would wear him down until he apologized. But for now, it seemed, her secret was safe.

"Wow! You dressed up!" The princess tossed her pillow back on the bed and circled him.

"You look great!" Her face lit up when she caught sight of the tulips. "Are those for me?"

"What, these?" Crono pretended to be shocked, as if he had never seen them before. "Oh, I found them in someone's trash can, and, you know, it seemed a bit of a waste..." When Marle gave a mock pout, he laughed. "Okay, I'm only teasing. Yes, these are for you."

She took the bouquet and buried her face in them. "They're so soft and pretty." Her voice was muffled by the blossoms. "Thank you so much." She reached up and put her arms around Crono's shoulders in a hug.

Lucca had herself a private smile. She put her pillow back on the bed and tiptoed her way to the door. She snuck one last look at the couple. Marle's eyes were closed, a tender look on her face. Crono held her as if she were too precious to ever let go.

She shut the door, and for a moment, she felt as if she were going to cry. She scrubbed at her eyes with her knuckles and refused to let the teardrops fall. This was right. They deserved each other. And she was happy with their choice.

_Then why does it feel like I've been told to cut off my arm?_ she wondered. She shook off the feeling. _I've got to quit whining, already! If I don't learn to deal with this, I'm just going to end up hurting everyone, and I don't want that. _She put on her brave face and took a deep breath. _Right! Enough whimpering. Who needs men, anyway? Time to go home and blow stuff up._

--

"Mmm, this is nice." Marle leaned deeper into Crono's embrace. "I love it when you just hold me. It makes me feel so safe and warm."

"I'm glad," he whispered into her hair. He played with her braid a bit. "Going for a new look?"

"It was Lucca's idea, not mine."

The swordsman gave a snort of laughter. "It reminds me of Flea."

Marle gave his back a playful slap. "Oh, hush." She drew back a bit so she could look into her boyfriend's face. "Thank you for coming by, today. I haven't seen you since two days ago. I was getting a little lonely."

"Didn't Lucca come to visit?" The young man frowned in though. "I could have sworn she did."

"It's not the same thing as when you visit, silly." The princess slipped out of his arms and sat on her bed while Crono drew up the chair from her vanity. "So, what brings you here so early in the day? You usually don't show up until the afternoon." She toyed with one of the tulip blossoms, feeling the waxy surface of the petals.

Crono appeared to gather his courage and moved down on one knee in front of her. From inside his shirt, he produced a small pouch tied around his neck. "I talked with your father this morning, and he has agreed to let us get married. I bought this ring with the money I saved up from our adventure." He opened the drawstring top and shook out a shiny gold ring with several large diamonds encrusting the surface. When he moved to take Marle's left hand, she drew it back. He looked shocked. "I'm sorry. Have I...said something wrong?"

She set the flowers aside and clasped her hands together, looking at them instead of at him. "No, it's not that. It's just... Well, you haven't even proposed to me yet and you're already trying to put a ring on my finger?"

Crono nodded. "You're right. I'm an idiot. Nadia Marle Guardia, will you marry me?" He gave her such a hopeful, expectant look that it broke her heart to have to say what she needed to say.

"Yes, Crono, I will." She held up a hand to forestall his excitement. "But not right now."

"Of course not right now," he laughed, sounding relieved. "You don't even have a wedding dress made! I figured we'd wait a couple of weeks. That way, we have enough time to plan things out and make up a guest list."

But his girlfriend shook her head. "No, not even in a few weeks." She sighed. "I love you, Crono. That much I know. But we've only been together for a year! Things are going too fast for me, right now. You know that I spent most of my time cooped up in this castle before I met you. And now that I'm free to come and go as I please, I want to take advantage of that. There is a lot of world to see, and a lot about you I still don't know yet." She cupped his face in her hands. "Can't we take things one day at a time for now?"

His eyes showed his understanding. "I see. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I was rushing you into something you're not ready for." He looked at the ring he held. "Can you at least wear this so the world knows you're my girl?"

She smiled. "That I can do." She held out her left hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger. She admired the way it sparkled in the light, turning it this way and that. "You've got great taste in jewelry," she commented. "I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have you by my side."

"And I'm just lucky you didn't turn me down flat," he laughed. He leaned in for a kiss, one which she gave willingly. When they parted, he pulled the chair closer. He felt too weird sitting on her bed before they were married. "So, when do you think you'll be ready?" He held up his hands in defense as his bride-to-be's eyebrows came to together. "I'm not rushing you! I'm just asking a question."

"I'll get married to you whenever Lucca decides to get married," she said firmly.

"Er, what?"

"I said that when Lucca gets married, I'll marry you." Marle made an unhappy face. "Oh, Crono. There are so many things you don't know, and I don't think I can tell you. Call it a secret between girls. But Lucca is miserable, I can tell. If I get married, everything will change between the three of us. All my time will be spent with you, and Lucca will be all alone."

"Is that why you want to put off getting married? Because you're afraid things will change?" Crono took her hands in his. "Who says anything will be different? Lucca will still be our friend, and she can still hang out with us."

"While we're being all lovey-dovey?" Marle shook her head. "That wouldn't be fair to her. Besides, she's always had you with her. Now, you're wanting to start your own life, and she's stuck in the same routine as always. It's not good for her to be alone with her inventions all the time. She needs a boyfriend of her own."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?"

Marle sighed again. "I don't know. Do you think anyone around here would be interested in going out with her?"

Crono looked dubious. "You mean, like a blind date? I don't think so. Ever since we were kids, she's been something of a bully towards boys. Everyone used to pick on her because of her glasses, so she had to be tough to stand up for herself." He gave a rueful smile. "The first time we met, she punched me in the eye because I asked her why she wore them."

"And after that, you two were inseparable," Marle finished. She giggled. "Cute story."

"Actually, I was something of a wuss back then. She made me do her errands and chores, and if I ever complained she'd hit me. My dad said that he wasn't going to raise a son who got beaten up by little girls, so he started to train me to use a sword. The next time she tried to hit me, I hit her back. Not hard," he said quickly in response to Marle's shocked look. "Just enough to let her know I wasn't going to take her abuse anymore. After that, I think she started to respect me. _That's_ when we became inseparable."

"I never knew that." Marle tilted her head. "I always assumed you two just hit it off right away. You always seemed so close."

Crono ran a hand over his spiky red hair. It fell back into place almost immediately, and it made Marle wish that her hair took less work to maintain like his did.

"So, you want to play matchmaker for Lucca, huh?" The young man thought for a moment. "If there were any guys interested in her around here, I'd know about it. Most people just think of her as a crazy girl who invents stuff."

"That's a mean thing to say," the princess admonished.

"Hey, I didn't make it up. She hasn't done a whole lot to encourage love interests to approach her. I think they're afraid of getting blown up in one of her projects."

Marle stroked Crono's cheek. "I'm sure you'll think of something. You're the hero who defeated Lavos. This should be much easier, don't you think?" She gave him a bright smile.

"Eh..." Crono could feel a sweat drop rolling down the side of his head. "I guess."

What had he gotten himself into?


	3. The Solution

**Much Ado About Lucca **

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 3: The Solution**

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

King Guardia and his chancellor clinked their glasses together and drank. The ruby-red wine sparkled inside their finely carved crystal chalices, the glint of platinum leaves inlaid around the outside catching the light.

"Ahhh!" The king sighed with gusto. "Excellent vintage!"

"Indeed, sire." The old man gave a small hiccup, which he covered with a hoarse cough.

"I wonder when I should make the public announcement?" Guardia mused, crossing his ankles and slouching a bit on his throne. "My daughter getting married should be a cause for celebration, don't you agree?"

"Oh yes! After all these years of putting up with her Highness' impudent behavior, she will finally come to her senses and settle down." The Chancellor gave mock sniffles. "I know that it's what the dear queen would have wished."

"My wife wished only for Nadia's happiness. She was always the indulgent one, though I warned her that she was spoiling our daughter too much." Guardia gave a wistful smile. "Of course, I'm partly to blame. She loved Nadia with all her heart, and what wrong can come of that, I ask you? Now is a different matter, of course."

"Of course," the old man agreed, taking another sip from his glass.

"So lost was I in my own grief that I completely turned a blind eye to how Nadia was behaving. I suppose that her wild nature and uneven temperament are my doing. I should have spent more time with her, raising her correctly instead of leaving it for others to do." He waved a hand. "Ah, well. Too late to dwell in the past, as they say. Time to look to the future." He raised his glass. "To the future!"

"Hear, hear!"

When they were finished drinking, the Chancellor clapped his hands and a liveried servant fetched their glasses from them.

The king stopped the man on his way out. "You there, has the young man named Crono left yet?"

"I don't know, my lord. Shall I find out?"

"Yes, and if he is still here, tell him I wish to speak to him again before he leaves."

"At once, sire."

Guardia watched the servant go, feeling more relaxed and at ease than he had in quite a long time. He gave a contented sigh. "Isn't it nice when things start turning out for the best? I have my health. My kingdom is at peace and loved by many allies. My daughter is soon to be wed, and I can step down to make way for the younger generation."

The Chancellor gave a nervous laugh. "Surely you mean to wait some years before you do that, sire? After all, you are in your prime. The kingdom needs you! Why, the princess has skipped most of her tutoring these past two years, and that boy, Crono, has next to no formal schooling. How could such a pair rule in your stead, when they don't have the first clue as to how to run a nation?"

"Come, come! How can any monarch rule, if not without the help of his loyal vassals?" Guardia pointed at the Chancellor. "Without you, I should have become quite the lazy bones. After my sweet wife left us so abruptly, I had not the strength to go on living. It was you who put the scepter in my hand and forced me out of my brooding and back to the world of the living. For that, you have my sincerest thanks."

The old man beamed, looking very pleased with himself. "Oh, sire! You give me far too much credit..." However, he looked as if he could stand to listen to such praise all day and never get bored.

"My wish is that you remain steadfast to the kingdom, as well as to Crono and Nadia, offering them council as you have done for me. I'm sure that with your aid, they will not make too many mistakes in their lifetimes."

The Chancellor still didn't look very happy with such an idea, but he didn't quibble about it. "As you say, my king."

They lapsed into silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts. When the double doors opened and Crono walked in looking more than a little on the dejected side, King Guardia roused himself from his musings.

"Ah, there you are, son." The monarch waved him closer. "Tell me. Did you and Nadia set a wedding date?"

"No," Crono said, looking even more upset than before. "We're not going to get married right now."

Guardia's face went pale, and when he spoke, his words were tight. "I'm not sure I understand you, boy. Were your words earlier a mere farce? You'd better not be planning on dallying with my daughter without putting a ring on her finger first. Because if that's the case, and for your sake it had better not be, you'd best bid the sunlight farewell because you're never going to see it again when I'm through with you."

"She's the one who decided she wasn't ready yet!" Crono protested. "Why is everything always my fault?!"

"Hmm." The king thought about this for a moment. "I see. Has she even accepted your proposal? You two haven't been...'fooling around,' have you?"

"Marle put a weird stipulation on our engagement that makes me wonder if I'm even going to see the inside of a chapel with her, let alone the wedding bed." Irritation for the whole ordeal was starting to get to Crono, making him careless with his words. "I apologize. I didn't mean that. If she wants to wait, I'll wait for her. I love her too much to be daunted by this setback."

"And what sort of demands has the princess asked of you?" The Chancellor was grinning again, which was always a bad sign when it came to things that really mattered to a person. "I'm sure they couldn't have been too overwhelming, not for a notable swordsman like yourself."

"You know, I'm starting to regret not leaving you in that box," Crono grumbled. "Marle's gotten it into her head that Lucca will be miserable without me. She thinks that since Lucca and I are childhood friends, my getting married is going to be emotionally devastating for her. So, Marle decided not to wed until she's sure Lucca is happy with someone else."

"Is that all?" Guardia pressed.

"She also said that she wants more time, that she feels rushed. She wants to do more exploring and not settle down so soon. The way she figured it, by the time Lucca finds a boyfriend, she'll have gotten bored with adventuring and be ready to assume responsibility for the kingdom."

"So much for stepping down from the throne, eh, sire?" The Chancellor said this deadpan, but his whole body seemed to relax, some inner tension draining away. "What can a little time do to harm anything?"

But the king rounded on the old man in anger. "And run the risk of her never settling down at all? What if she decides she likes adventuring much more than the idea of ruling her kingdom? What if she decides to travel somewhere far away and never come back? Who would rule in my place? It's not like I have any sons to carry on my bloodline. All my hopes for the future reside in her, and I'm not going to allow such foolish sentiments get in the way of her duty to me, both as a daughter and as a subject of the king!"

"I'm sorry," Crono spoke up. "I'm a little lost. What's going on, now?"

"Never you mind, boy," Guardia snapped. "You want to marry my daughter, right?"

Crono nodded mutely.

"Then shut up and let me deal with things."

The Chancellor wrung his hand. "What do you plan on doing, sire?"

"I'll simply order her to get married." The king gave a decisive nod. "She can't refuse a direct order from me. Come hell or high water, I _will _see her take the throne, even if I have to tie her to it myself!"

Crono decided that he didn't like the sound of that. "Hey, that doesn't seem right to me. Even if you are the king, you can't order her around like that. If she doesn't want to be queen yet, you can't force her. She may be a princess, but even a princess has some rights to her own life."

The Chancellor surprised Crono by coming to stand beside him, laying a fatherly sort of hand on the young man's forearm. "I agree completely. Forcing her Highness to do things never accomplished anything in the past. It only made her rebel even more." He shook his wizened old head, long beard waggling. "I believe we must give in to her demands yet again. Time, as they say, is the cure for all things. Perhaps she will come to her senses in a few years, once all this adolescent energy has burned out of her system."

King Guardia stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. "Hmm, perhaps you are right on one score. Forcing Nadia to do things she doesn't want to have only led to headaches, both then and now. However, she left us an alternate means of persuasion, one that she can't fight or back out of even if she tried." He gave a devious smile. "We'll just have to find a husband for Lucca!"

"That's what she told me to do," Crono stated. "But do you have any idea how hard that's going to be? I don't know of a single guy in town that hasn't been insulted or beaten up by Lucca at least once in his life."

"Oh my, yes. That girl has the most shrewish tongue I have ever beheld in all my life." The old man beside Crono crossed his arms, glaring into space as if he could see Lucca even now. "Just thinking about her attitude makes me want to wash her mouth out with soap. Back in my day, women were all genteel and soft-spoken. I've never met a more forward and disagreeable girl. I can see why no one would want to make her his bride. Were I not so well off, you couldn't pay me enough to marry her. Not even if you tempted me with a whole _mine_ of gold!"

"Peace, Chancellor," the king soothed, alarmed at how the old man was getting so worked up. "Though, you bring up an interesting point. Exactly what is the effect of gold on a young man's ardor?"

"Are you suggesting we _bribe_ someone to marry Lucca?" Crono was aghast. "Shouldn't she marry someone for love, not just because they're expecting a huge payoff?"

"Tosh, lad! Can you honestly say that the thought of becoming king doesn't tempt you in the slightest?"

Crono drew himself up indignantly. "No, it doesn't! I love Marle, not the fact that she's a princess!"

The king waved aside the swordsman's anger. "But you have to admit, having money and power makes things a lot more convenient for you, doesn't it? Your mother will never want for anything, will she? And you'll have the ability to do whatever you can to help people. Oh yes, I know all about how kindhearted you are. Nadia can talk of nothing else."

"I suppose you're right," Crono conceded, frowning. "I hadn't thought of that before. Money and power can be used for good, but it shouldn't be the basis of a marriage. I liked Marle before I even knew who she was, and finding out that she was a princess was more of a shock to me than anything else. But when I realized I still liked her, despite her royal birth, I knew that her status meant nothing to me."

"Yes, yes," Guardia said impatiently. "I admire your noble ideals. But most men are not like you, I'm afraid. Money motivates many of them. It's just a matter of time until we find one willing to go through with a courtship. Besides, Lucca doesn't have to _really_ marry whomever we choose. We can stage a wedding and send the 'loving couple' away on their honeymoon, giving us plenty of time to arrange a real one for you and my daughter."

Crono ran his hands through his hair, still looking upset. "It all just feels underhanded to me. And I can't help but think about how poor Lucca will feel about all this."

"Just tell her to play along," the king urged. "It's for your happiness with my daughter, after all. I'm sure she will understand."

"And what about Marle wanting to get to know me better? Doesn't that count for something to consider?"

"She's just stalling for time. She knows that when she says her vows, she can't go running around willy-nilly anymore. It's all a smokescreen. You'll have to learn to see through these things, too, if you don't want her to lead you around by the nose, my boy. Besides, if she really loves you, she won't care what sort of person you are, correct?"

Crono's eyes widened. "That's true!"

"Ah ha, see? She'll have plenty of time to get to know you once you two are married. For now, she's using this as an excuse to put off the inevitable. And that's not very fair on you, now is it?"

Something seemed flawed with that reasoning, but for some reason it all just sounded sensible at the moment. "I...suppose so," Crono said slowly.

King Guardia clapped him on the shoulder. "Trust me. This will all work out all right in the end. In the mean time, we have our work cut out for us. We must find a suitable actor to play the part of a man desperately in love with Lucca. Chancellor, take notes."

The old man sighed and fetched his clipboard. He didn't look happy at all when he returned. "Ready when you are, sire."

"Good. Let's see now. He must be respectable enough to fool the general public. No ruffians or vagabonds are to be accepted. Merchants, traders, physicians...they're all fine. Pick people who you wouldn't be afraid to admit into your family. He should also be physically appealing. If we're going to make a show of this, than let's go all the way, shall we?"

"He has to have a good personality," Crono said stubbornly. "If I'm going to subject my friend to this, she's going to have the best of the best."

"I agree," the king said. "Take that down, too."

"Already done, sire. And might I add, it should be someone she knows. It wouldn't feel plausible enough if some random man suddenly takes an interest in her. To be authentic looking to the public eye, it should be someone who could realistically woo her." The old man looked slyly at Crono. "Didn't you travel with some friends who could be persuaded to help out?"

"Yeah, and they're all back in their own times," the youth retorted.

"What about that flying thing-a-mah-jig? Can't that take you to them?"

"The Epoch? Sure, but the only bachelors I know are Frog and Magus. Frog might be willing to help, but Magus would just as soon blast me with his magic than do a favor for anyone. The only other male member of our group was Robo, and I don't think that would work out too well..."

King Guardia rose from his throne and began to pace. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked a line in front of the others. "That Frog fellow might not be the best choice. Who would want to marry that thing?"

Crono rushed to his friend's defense. "It wasn't like he asked to look that way! And it shouldn't matter what you look like on the outside. It's the inside that counts!"

"My money is still on this Magus person. Wasn't he the one claiming to be royalty?"

"He was a prince back in Zeal Kingdom. But he's a complete jerk. Everything out of his mouth is some sort of insult."

The Chancellor smirked. "Sounds like someone we know. I'll mark down his name."

"Put Frog on there, too," the king ordered. "We don't want to rule out any possibilities." He stopped pacing for a moment, adjusting his stately robes. "Now that we have an idea of who we're going to pick, offer a monetary reward for the one Lucca chooses. That should give them some incentive to try their best."

"I don't believe I'm actually allowing you to talk me into this," Crono moaned. "If you're intending to pay them to do this, don't let Lucca know. She'll get insulted by the very notion of it."

"Don't worry," the Chancellor stated, scribbling down some additional notes. "I'll brief them when they get here. As for you, your job is to bring them here. I suggest you fetch them sometime in the next week or so. After that, stay away and pretend as if you know nothing of what's going on."

Crono sighed for what felt like the tenth time that day. "Oh believe me, I'm going to do my best to forget I had any hand in this."

Things just seemed to be going from bad to worse for him.


	4. The Casting Call

**Much Ado About Lucca **

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 4: The Casting Call**

**601 AD--**

Frog put his large copper kettle over the small fire that served to both heat his home and cook his meals. Right now, he desired a large mug of tea mixed with sedative herbs to help ease the throbbing of his broken arm. He was just settling down to wait for the water to boil when he heard the unmistakable sound of the Epoch popping out of a time portal.

He considered getting up to go see what was going on, but his arm ached too much at the moment. If it was anything important, his friends knew where to find him. That being the case, it wasn't too much later when he heard someone approaching the entrance of his home.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Frog smiled, looking up the ladder. "Crono?"

"Oh, good! You are home. I wasn't sure if you'd be here or at the castle. Hold on a moment. I'm coming down." A pair of blue clad legs appeared at the top of the ladder, quickly followed by the rest of the young man. He climbed about halfway down and jumped the rest of the way. He landed in front of Frog and grinned. "Long time, no see!"

"Aye, that it has been. 'Tis good to see thee again, my friend!" Frog made as if to embrace his old companion, but his broken arm protested. He winced. "Forgive me for not giving thee a proper greeting, but I am not at full health right now. But thy timing could not have been better. I have just put the kettle on for some tea, if thou art so inclined to join me?"

"That sounds good." Crono sat down on a simple reed mat covering the hard, packed dirt that made up a majority of the floor.

Frog's home was very sparse when it came to furniture. He had all the basic amenities needed to survive: a bed, a fire pit, some dishes and utensils, some pots to store things, a barrel to trap rain water, and a chamber pot. This was his entire household inventory, the sum of his life as an outcast of Human society.

"What happened to your arm?"

Frog busied himself with spooning herbs into their mugs; a delightful peach blend for Crono and the medicinal ones for himself. "I wouldst rather not say and prithee, do not inquire further." When he was done, the amphibian poured the hot water into the cups to let the tea steep. "But enough about me. What bringest thou to mine home this day?"

"It's kinda funny, really," Crono began with an anxious laugh. "For starters, let me say that I have asked Marle to be my wife."

"Really?" Frog moved to his friend's side, giving him an awkward handshake with his good hand. "Congratulations! Thou wilt make a most fetching couple. Indeed, I am most happy for the both of thee. Upon what date wilt the wedding take place? I should very much like to be in attendance during that most blessed union."

Crono rubbed the back of his neck. "It's...complicated." He filled Frog in on the details surrounding his impending nuptials, ending with the plan concocted by Marle's father. "So you see, we need to fool Marle just long enough so that she goes through with the wedding."

Frog retrieved their tea. He tried to wedge a sugar bowl under his arm and almost dropped it. Had Crono not rushed to his side, both the tea and the sugar would have made a wet, sticky mess on the dirt floor. Together, they managed to get their drinks and condiment safely to the mats where they were sitting.

"I thank thee," Frog acknowledged. He added a spoonful of sugar to his mug and stirred it. "Back to the issue at hand. Thy wish is to enlist my aid in a ruse to trap your princess in marriage. Am I correct?"

Crono sipped his tea. "I wouldn't call it a trap. Marle did promise to marry me if we got Lucca a husband. But I know what you mean. I'm not very happy with this idea, myself. It's not right to do this to either Lucca or Marle, but if I don't go along with it, the king might revoke his approval of me marrying his daughter."

"Thou couldst elope," Frog offered. He took a mouthful of his special tea, puckered at the bitter flavor, and added more sugar.

The red-haired swordsman shook his head. "I want do that only as a last resort. I have a feeling that Marle wouldn't object, but the king and his chancellor might. The last time I crossed paths with them, I nearly got executed. Granted, there was some Mystic trickery involved, but I don't want to anger them any more than necessary." He sighed. "I just feel that the more I get to know the royal family, the worse off I'm going to be. Why'd I have to fall in love with such a complicated girl?"

Frog snorted. "Thou art fortunate compared to my strife." He stirred his tea while Crono looked at him expectantly. "Oh, very well. I shall impart my secret to you. It is almost a blessing that thou hast come today. Ever since I first laid eyes upon her, Miss Lucca has been in my every waking thought. Try as I might, I canst not think about her."

Crono's eyes widened. "Really? I had no idea that you liked Lucca. I was always under the impression that you loved--" He broke off. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

But Frog nodded. "Thou art correct. I love Queen Leene with all my heart. So now the dilemma that has plagued my existence has become known to you. On the one hand, I love a woman of great power who, alas, is married to the king and still harbors love for my dear friend, Sir Cyrus. And the other woman I love lives four hundred years in the future." He clenched his good hand into a fist. "And to add insult to injury, my countenance has not changed much since thou hast last seen me."

Crono coughed. "Maybe together we can talk Magus into turning you back to your normal self."

Frog glowered. "Unlikely. That fiend hasn't relinquished his hold over me in all these years, I very much doubt he would do so for you."

They sat in silence for a while. Frog drank his tea and added more sugar to it with every slurp of the hot liquid. Crono merely held his between his palms, staring into it.

At last Frog spoke again. "Despite my unfortunate appearance, I knowest full well that Lucca will choose me to play the part of her husband over that magician. Perhaps if my luck holds out, I shall win her over and at last my true feelings shall be laid before her."

"That's the spirit. Looks are insignificant next to personality."

Frog blushed. "I-I agree!" he stammered, looking uneasy. "I respect Lucca for her intelligence and resourcefulness."

Crono was surprised by this declaration, but took it to mean that Frog was embarrassed to be talking about the subject. "That's good. I'm sure Lucca will appreciate that."

"When didst thou wish to depart?"

"As soon as possible. If King Guardia thinks I'm dawdling, he'll have my head on a spike."

Frog finished his tea and waited while Crono did likewise. "We shall be paying the wizard a call, then." It was less of a question and more like dreary grumbling. "Thou needs must help me climb yon ladder. 'Twas much easier getting down."

It took them nearly fifteen minutes to get up and out of the entrance to Frog's home, and another five minutes of rest after that. All the exertion was taking its toll on the amphibian knight, and he had to pause frequently due to his wounded arm. They took it slow, and thought Crono would never admit it, he was kind of glad for the chance to linger. He wasn't looking forward to their next destination.

"Since Magus' castle disappeared, where has he been living?" the young man inquired. "Or are you not keeping tabs on him anymore?" He fell into step beside his shorter companion.

They strolled through the small "haunted" woods towards the Epoch which was parked just outside the fringe of trees.

Frog's face was somber. "The fiend hath returned to the lair of his former master. Though we routed them, it seems as if Ozzie, the magician Flea, and Slash the swordsman hath remained alive and well in our absence. To the best of my knowledge, they have taken up the reigns of their old positions as his servants."

Crono shook his head. "They just don't know when to quit. I thought last time would be the end of them."

Frog snorted. "They sprout up anew each time, like weeds. To their credit, they have not made much nuisance of themselves since their defeat. I know not all the details, but they appear to have forgiven Magus for turning against them that one time." He shrugged, and bit his lip at the pain. When it passed, he said in a tight voice, "Do not ask me to explain the ways of the Mystics. I should not have forgiven him so easily were I in their shoes."

Crono refrained from mentioning that Frog was still harboring a grudge that had lasted several years. He understood the knight's drive and desire for vengeance. He had felt the same when the fires of justice had lit his heart and he had taken up his sword against Lavos.

He helped Frog into the Epoch, buckling the safety belt around him since it was too difficult for him to manage one handed. "I feel ashamed," the knight admitted. "This arm of mine has unmanned me...turned me into a helpless invalid..."

Crono half-smiled. "Hey, you can't complain until you've had your friends come save your bacon after you try to defeat a world-destroying evil with only a dinky red knife. Remember how out of it I was when you all brought me back? I was like a zombie, just walking around in a daze." His smile dropped. "I still have nightmares about that. I was so cold, and all alone, just floating in the middle of nowhere."

Frog used his good hand and gripped Crono's shoulder. "We are forever grateful that thou returned to us, lad."

Crono gave another half-smile. "Your voices called me back." He jumped into the cockpit of the Epoch and fastened himself in. "Now, if we survive this encounter with Magus everything will be okay."

"I have done it once. Surely I canst do it a second time," he heard Frog mumble under his breath.

"Huh?"

Frog coughed. "'Tis a waste of time attempting to enlist the aid of that villain Magus."

Crono glanced over his shoulder at the other passenger. "You going to be okay seeing him again?"

The amphibian looked away, back at the trees that surrounded his home. "I shall have to be...oh-kay, shant I?"

The young man didn't feel very at ease with that statement. The last thing he wanted was for the two of them to get into a fight with each other. Still, he entered in the coordinates and powered up their ship. "Next stop: Ozzie's Fort."

--

"This place sucks," Ozzie said, looking around the throne room. Massive chunks of wall were missing, having been blasted by stray magic attacks. Dust and debris littered the floor amid puddles of water and melted stone. He tried to kick a stone out of his way and ended up with stubbed toes. He had underestimated the weight of the rock. "Ow! Damn it! I hate this place!"

"That's what you get for being stupid," Magus replied calmly, brushing past him and hopping over some of the deeper puddles. He looked around for any hint of where his scythe had gotten off to. It was buried somewhere under the rocks. "Do you see anything yet?"

Ozzie limped over to where his upstart general was standing and gestured around them. "All I see is one hell of a big mess! Why can't you go outside to do your fighting?"

The blue-haired warlock rolled his eyes. "Yes, try telling that to _him_ next time he comes calling. In the meantime, quit your complaining and get back to looking. It flew out of my hand in that last big explosion. I know it's in here somewhere." He stooped and started shoveling aside some of the smaller rocks with his hands. "I think I saw it over here before part of the roof caved in."

The fat green Mystic sighed and shuffled closer. "All this work is hard on my back. I'm not as young as I used to be."

Magus didn't look up. "Yet you can still move fast enough when it comes to a good-looking female or a hunk of roasted beef. If you're looking for sympathy, my dear Ozzie, then you can stuff it, because I'm not impressed." He paused a moment to touch the bloody bandages that encircled his left biceps. "You'll have to help me change this later."

"You've always been more trouble than you're worth." Ozzie sighed and shifted some of the rocks. "Found it." He bent down as best as his flabby body would allow and retrieved the scythe. It was dusty and the blade had nicks in it, but was otherwise none the worse for wear. He handed it over to Magus. "Try not to lose this thing. You're not half as scary without it."

Magus smirked, touching a finger to Ozzie's forehead. "Oh, you think so, do you?" The finger began to grow warm as a reddish glow surrounded it.

"On second thought, maybe I was wrong," the Mystic corrected himself. "We all make mistakes, right? Knock it off already, would you?"

Magus smirked wider and dropped his hand. "It never fails to amuse me how you always take my threats so seriously." He dusted off his hands and shook out his cape. "Really, now. How long have we known each other?"

Ozzie put his hands on his hips. "The last time you came through here, you beat me up and dropped me into the basement, remember? If my ice barrier hadn't been there to take the brunt of the landing, I'd probably be worm food."

Now Magus laughed. "Technically, I didn't drop you anywhere. The cat did. And it serves you right for calling me a traitor. I didn't side with anyone, and you knew that perfectly well." The warlock drew a hanky from inside his armor and began to wipe dust off of his weapon. "I would have explained everything to you, but you jumped to conclusions before I had the chance."

Ozzie growled. "That's a lie! If I recall correctly, you were the one who told me to mind my own business." He sniffled. "Is that the thanks I get for taking you in and raising you like my own son? Haven't I always been a father to you?"

"Oh, please! I'm not going to get into this with you. Save the waterworks for someone who cares." Magus turned his back on the blubbering Mystic with a roll of his eyes. "At any rate, didn't you set Slash and Flea to do a tally of the damages? Let's go see what they came up with." He exited the throne room and headed for the library.

Ozzie resumed his normal hover and floated along behind him. "You know, my boy, you really should just kill that blasted Frog and be done with it. Why do you persist in letting him escape? Last time, you even dropped him off at his home! He means to kill you, and yet you treat these attacks as if they were mere annoyances."

"Because they are," Magus replied. "He can't kill me, no matter how hard he tries. I'm just too strong for him. As for letting him live afterwards, well, I'm simply not ready to give up our little game yet." He sidestepped around a hole in the floor. "I just wish he wasn't so vigorous when it comes to destroying my home."

"_Our_ home," Ozzie stressed. "You're not the only one living here, remember? What about the rest of us? Don't we have a right to a safe, Frog-free environment? Is it too much to ask that you do something truly evil for once in your life and kill the rotten bastard?"

"I'll kill him when I'm good and ready, not before." Magus sighed. "To be honest, he's the only thing keeping me from total and absolute boredom here. The search for my sister has proven fruitless, and I despise being leader of the Mystic hoards. Flea and Slash have given up trying to usurp power and are building their own life together, and you're the only real companion I have here."

Ozzie gave a bashful laugh. "Aww, I never knew you felt that way about me!"

But Magus shook out his hair, annoyed. "That wasn't a compliment! I'm going out of my mind, here! I'm half tempted to start another war just so I have something to _do!_"

"If you've got so much free time on your hands, why don't you fix up this dump of a fort?" Ozzie demanded.

Magus lapsed into sulky silence and remained that way for the rest of the walk to the library. The pair entered into the cramped room, avoiding tripping over the books that littered the floor. Slash and Flea were seated at the very same desk Ozzie had used to make his war plans against the Humans during the great war a few years ago. They were writing things down in huge ledgers, using a lot of red ink.

"So, the home-wrecker has returned." Slash gave a toothy grin, leaning back in his chair. "What can I do you for, boss?"

Magus had long ago learned to ignore the blue man's sarcasm. "I trust you have been productive since I left you?"

"If you're asking about how the finances are looking, they're the worst I have ever seen them." Flea replaced her quill into the ink pot and rolled her shoulders to remove cramps in her neck and back. "The treasury is nearly depleted and we have tons of repairs to make to the Fort."

Magus sat down in a free chair at the table. "What happened to all the money we plundered from the Humans during the war? And the money I brought back from my travels?"

Flea spun her ledger around so that he could see the figures. "Oh, you mean the money that went to build _your_ castle? And the money that funded _your_ campaign against the Humans in order to distract them so you could summon that Lavos creature? And what about the money we had to spend moving back here when _your _castle disappeared? And just when we thought that we had all reached rock bottom, and that it couldn't get any worse, we had serious medical expenses when _you_ and your new friends came through and busted everyone up for trying to pillage a little to recoup some of our losses."

Slash propped his feet up on the table. "I think someone here owes us a big fat apology, don't you, Magus?" He gave the wizard a meaningful look.

"So what are you saying?" Magus asked, ignoring Slash completely. "How much money do we have left?"

Flea toyed with her braid. "According to my calculations, next to nothing. Gentleman, we are broke. We need some income, and I mean fast."

Ozzie floated over to Magus' left elbow. "I say we call it quits with this place. I mean, look at it. The Fort was falling apart ten years ago, and now it's just going to hell. Things were nicer in Magus' castle, but since living there is no longer an option, I vote that we ditch this place entirely and go start a village of our own somewhere."

Slash's eyes widened. "Our own village? You mean, start a town for the Mystics?"

Flea looked thoughtful. "A village of magic, somewhere away from the Humans, where we can be self-sufficient and live in peace."

Ozzie rubbed his hands together briskly. "Not just a place of isolation. We'll need to start developing better relations with the Humans." He waved aside their outraged looks. "No, you really have to start taking that into consideration. Let's be realistic. We got our rear ends kicked by a motley crew of adventurers from another time. No one wants to fight these days. If we take it slow, and get some commerce going on, maybe we can build a home that won't get blown up by rampaging Frogs and entities from the stars."

Magus rubbed a gloved finger back and forth against the grain of the tabletop. "In theory, it makes sense. The chance for a peaceful life could very well motivate everyone to come together and work for a better tomorrow. However, I think you're missing a big detail. Mystics aren't like Humans. They don't know the first thing about community and friendship and working together for the good of everyone."

Flea pointed to her book again. "And we don't really have the money to buy the supplies we'd need to keep everyone happy until we get settled. So, we're back where we started."

Magus rose to his feet. "If anyone figures out anything useful, come and get me. I'm going to take a nap."

Slash snorted. "That's typical of you. You're never around when we really need you, and when you are here, things go from bad to worse. Why couldn't you have done us all a favor and just stayed away?"

Magus didn't hesitate to grab Slash by the throat. His strong fingers squeezed into the blue flesh. "You know, your attitude is really starting to bother me. I've been nice up till now. But one more word of complaint out of you and I'm going to use your empty skull to hold my soup, is that clear?"

"C-crystal," Slash gagged. He slumped back into his seat when Magus released him, rubbing his throat. "You're always so violent! Chill out, would you?"

Magus didn't respond. He flipped his hair over his shoulder. "You know where to find me," he said to Ozzie. Then he teleported out of the library, leaving his cronies to give a sigh of relief.

"He's such a brat!" Flea toyed with her braid, examining the ends of her hair. "It would serve him right if we all just up and left him here to stew all he wants on his own."

Slash nodded. "You said it. Is it just me, or has our dear 'leader' been more pissy than normal these past few days?"

Ozzie wedged his bulk into the chair that Magus had vacated, his flab spilling over the armrests. "He claims that he's bored. Remember when he explained to us why he left in the first place?"

Slash thought about this for a moment. "Yeah, wasn't he off to look for some girl he knew from long ago?"

Flea cocked her head to one side. "I thought she was his sister?"

"Same thing." The blue swordsman put his hands behind his head and titled his chair onto the back legs. "What's that got to do with anything? Don't tell me that he's pining for female company?"

Ozzie shrugged, making his blubber wriggle. "I don't know what his problem is. Magus has never seemed to care for females one way or the other. But since he returned from his search, he's been a royal pain in the ass. It's like he actually looks forward to that damned Frog coming to kill him." The fat Mystic stroked his chin with a pudgy hand. "You'd think that he might be lonely, the way he's acting."

Flea gave a tittering laugh. "Magus? _Lonely?_ Why in the world would he feel that way, Ozzie? He has us to keep him company." She rubbed her hands together, a scheming look crossing her pretty face. "Of course, if he's looking for excitement, he knows that I'd be more than happy to deliver."

"Oh, hush!" Ozzie scolded. "What could you do, other than make a fool of yourself in front of him?" While Flea fumed in her seat, Ozzie stared into space, thinking. "What Magus needs is companionship other than ourselves. He's never really been one of us, and I don't think we can give him the type of attention that another Human can." The Mystic looked meaningfully at the two henchmen.

Slash rocked the chair back and forth, looking sullen. "We're his family," he said. "He should know that by now. He's rude, arrogant, and makes me want to beat the crap out of him, but...well...he's the Magus, you know? If he doesn't fit in here with us, where in the hell _would_ he fit in? The Humans sure as hell don't want him."

Flea snickered. "Aww, you _like_ him, don't you?"

"Shut up! You were the one who wanted to jump in his pants just now!"

"Oooh, are you jealous?"

"Bite me, woman!"

Ozzie rose from his chair with much grunting and pained expressions. "Easy there, children. No need to get into a fist fight over something that silly." Flea giggled to herself while Slash glared daggers in her direction. Ozzie shook some wrinkles out of his white robes. "In any case, we'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for anything that might possibly pique Magus' interest and bring him out of his boredom. That way, he'll stop taking his frustration out on us and the Fort."

"That's true," Slash mused.

Flea shrugged. "No arguments here."

"Well then. Meeting adjourned."

As everyone started to exit the library, a loud noise echoed through the hallway. The Mystics tensed at the sound, looking at each other with various degrees of agitation.

"I don't believe this! Is that blasted Frog back _again?!_" Ozzie shouted, his face turning a weird purple-green. "That's it. I'm not taking this anymore! I'm going to finish that stupid amphibian once and for all."

"Count me in," Slash grinned. "I still owe him for that time he called me Sir Slush."

"It could be a false alarm," Flea noted. "You know that we get all sorts of weird adventurers these days." She thought about it a moment more and smirked. "Ah, well. Serves them right if they come poking their noses where they don't belong!"

The trio faded away, teleporting to the entryway of the Fort. There stood a glowering Frog and that boy who called himself Crono. Both of them were looking around as if expecting any number of traps to spring on them. That might have been the case a year ago, but since the Fort was half destroyed these days, the worst thing that could happen to their uninvited guests would be rocks falling on their heads from the ceiling. When they caught sight of the Mystics, the two visitors placed their hands on the hilts of their weapons.

"Looks like he had to get someone better to fight his battles for him," Ozzie chortled, pointing at Frog. "This situation seems oddly familiar. Ah, yes! It was the same when the Hero was alive, wasn't it, Froggy?"

Before Frog could reply, Crono stepped forward. "We're not here for a fight. We just want to talk to Magus. Is he around?"

"And what do you want with Sir Magus?" Flea asked in a cool voice. She examined the pointed fingernails of her left hand while leaning her right hip into the other. "It better not be for anything stupid, or else you're in for a world of hurt."

"Yeah," Slash added, giving a dramatic spin while levitating. "We've had a year to practice our moves. Want us to show them to you?

Crono slashed a hand through the air as if attempting to cut off their words. "No! I told you, we just want to talk to Magus. I have a question to ask him. We didn't come here looking to stir up any trouble."

"Do not waste your words on these cretins," Frog sniffed. "They are but simple-minded buffoons." He rubbed his broken arm. "I told thee that this wouldst be a waste of thy time."

"What's this about a question?" Ozzie demanded. "Tell it to us! If it's anything good, we might consider fetching the Magus for you."

Crono sighed. "It's a long story. I just need to see if he'd be willing to come back with me to my time for a little bit."

"And what's in it for us?" Flea nudged Ozzie in his side. "I mean, what's in it for the Magus?" he corrected himself.

"The hand of a most virtuous lady," Frog said rapturously. "Not that a fiend such as your master wouldst ever appreciate her beyond mere carnal lust."

"I don't understand," Flea spoke up. "What's the toady going on about? Are you Humans bartering off your females as pleasure slaves?" She gave a high-pitched laugh. "That's rich!"

"Sounds good to me!" Slash gave a sly glance over at Flea. "How much credit can I get from trading my woman for one of yours?"

"Why you--!" Flea turned on him in outrage. "How dare you say something like that!"

Crono rubbed his eyes. From his pinched expression, it looked as if a headache was forming. "It's not like that at all! I need some help staging a wedding for my friend Lucca, in order to persuade my girlfriend to marry me. That's all! There's no slavery of any kind involved!"

Ozzie rubbed his hands together briskly. "I still don't see how this will benefit us, er, Magus. So far, you've only asked for his help free of charge, and I don't think that's very fair of you, now is it? Surely a reward of some kind is in order?"

Crono crossed his arms. "If I get his cooperation, there might be money involved." He held up his hands, forestalling Ozzie's next words. "I don't know how much, okay? If it were my choice, there wouldn't _be_ any reward. This whole plot goes against everything I would normally believe in."

The fat green Mystic put his hands behind his back. "Give me a while to talk this over with everyone and I'll get back to you. Just wait here." He motioned to the other two Mystic to accompany him from the room. "And don't bother wandering around. Unless you know how to teleport, you won't get very far."

As soon as the trio was out of earshot of the disgruntled Frog and the querulous swordsman, Slash spoke up. "What's the deal, Ozzie? Why aren't we kicking some ass? You can't be considering their idea." When Ozzie stayed silent, he stared. "You are?"

"And why not? This is our chance to get Magus out of the Fort for a while, and us some serious money! Maybe it will be enough to start encouraging some people to get off their lazy butts and start building that town we discussed."

"I thought you were joking about that," Flea protested. "You can't really mean for us to leave the Fort and go live in a community like some...some _Human!_ Think of our image! What will they say about the Mystic hoards in the history books? That we got trounced and ran off with our tails between our legs to some idealistic Utopia in the middle of nowhere?"

"It wouldn't _be_ in the middle of nowhere! We have plenty of space nearby. We'll just use some of the trees around here to help build the houses, and reuse the rocks from the Fort. It's not going to be all that difficult. If we could build that massive castle for Magus, you would think that we could construct a few rotten houses for ourselves. Besides, I've made up my mind."

"That's not fair!" Flea stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "Who died and made you boss?!"

"I've _always_ been the boss!" Ozzie yelled. "And I say, it's about time Magus got a wife!"


	5. The Art of Persuasion

**Much Ado About Lucca**

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 5: The Art of Persuasion**

Magus tossed and turned in bed, unable to find a comfortable spot to sleep in. The cold truth was, he wasn't tired in the slightest. But sleeping seemed to make the day go by faster. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of his canopied bed.

_This is getting tedious. Everything is such a waste of time these days. It's like I don't have a purpose anymore. The Mystics don't need me, and neither do the Humans. If only I could find Schala... Maybe then I wouldn't be so--_

He growled and rolled onto his stomach, putting one of the pillows over his head. No, he refused to call himself "lonely," of all things. Such a weak sentiment would never do for one of his stature. This was simply the boredom of a man who was accustomed to always being on the move. He had never once considered what he would do if his life ever settled down.

_I honestly didn't expect to live this long,_ he mused, dropping the pillow off the edge of the bed. _It was never a matter of 'where will I be in a few years?' It was always, 'how do I get through today?'_

Lavos was the one certainty he had depended on. Fueled by a desire for revenge, every waking moment had been spent in preparation of confronting the world devouring parasite. He hadn't anticipated Crono's arrival, or the unexpected Gate that brought him back to Zeal. He hadn't really believed he could succeed in defeating Lavos then, but he had been ready to lay down his life for his sister, if not for the rest of his people. Only things hadn't gone as planned, and he had merely made a fool of himself while Crono the Martyr had taken up the red knife in his stead and been wiped from the face of the earth.

He had once believed that the only reason why he had been spared time and again was the result of some greater plan that Fate had in store for him. But now that he really considered the matter, it felt more like dumb luck that he was laying on his bed in the Fort and not in a ditch somewhere, feeding the crows and bugs.

_I refuse to be a pawn being manipulated at the hands of some unseen entity,_ he grouched. _I am the Magus._ He frowned, sitting up at last. Such words were poor comfort these days.

A knock resounded on his chamber door.

Magus made sure his hair wasn't sticking up in odd ways and cleared his throat. "Come in."

The door opened and Ozzie poked his head into the room. "Sorry to bother you. I know you said you wanted to take a nap."

Magus shrugged. "I wasn't sleeping."

"Ah, good." Ozzie maneuvered his bulk through the door frame and shut the door behind him with a push of his hand. "You wanted to know if we came up with any ideas for making some money, right?" He waited for Magus to nod and then continued. "I think we may have found a solution to our problems."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It sounds like an easy way to make a few coins. For someone of your talents and reputation, it should be right up your alley."

Magus stretched. "So what is it? Some sort of mercenary job?"

Ozzie gave a delicate cough. "Yeah, I guess you could call it something like that. It's kind of a covert operation. You've been undercover before, haven't you?"

"If I could convince an entire kingdom that I'm some sort of prophet, I think I can handle a little espionage. But now you've got me intrigued. Exactly what sort of mission is this?"

"Nothing you can't handle. There is a bit of a challenge involved--"

"Good," the wizard interrupted. "I've been so bored around here, I could use a good challenge to liven things up."

"And you'll be having a bit of competition. There is more than one person working on this operation. The challenge is for you to be the first one to complete the job. There won't be any second place consolation prizes."

Magus cracked his knuckles unpleasantly. "Consider the competition defeated."

Ozzie chuckled. "Glad to hear it, my boy! I'll let Cro- er, the correct parties know that you've agreed to take the job." He started edging for the door. "Why don't you take it easy today? The mission starts first thing tomorrow morning and you'll want to be looking your best. First impressions, and all that."

It was then that Magus noticed that Ozzie was acting very casual about the whole ordeal, which just wasn't like him. A growing suspicion began to form in his mind. "You know, you didn't actually tell me what this 'job' of yours is all about."

Ozzie gave a nervous laugh. "I told you, it's nothing you need to worry about." He opened the door and stepped into the hall. "You just have to pretend to get married!" Then he slammed the door shut as fast as he could. He managed to get halfway down the hall before Magus was tearing after him.

"Ozzie, I believe we need to have a serious conversation," the warlock stated, his voice dripping menace and lightning crackling around his gloved left hand.

The fat Mystic held up his hands, floating backwards so he could keep an eye on his irate general. "Um, whatever do you mean, my boy? It's not like I lied to you or anything. I told you all the details that I thought you might need to know."

"Did you? It seems to me that you left out quite a bit in your little oration. LIKE THE PART ABOUT ME HAVING TO GET MARRIED!" Magus emphasized his displeasure with a bolt of lightning that forced Ozzie to dodge to one side.

The green Mystic looked at the tiny, smoking crater that had been left and put his hands on his flabby hips. "Now that was uncalled for! Calm down and stop throwing magic around like that before you bring the whole place down around our ears!"

Magus reigned in his temper with a supreme effort. He wagged a finger in Ozzie's face. "I don't care what sort of nonsense prompted you to even _think_ about bothering me with such a ridiculous notion, but it won't be happening again. The next time you want to be stupid, don't come knocking on my door."

"Okay, okay," Ozzie grumbled. "I'll explain the whole story."

"I don't want to hear it!" Magus turned on his heel and began walking back to his room. He felt a sudden weight on his cape and looked behind him to see Ozzie clinging to it, a stubborn look on his wide face. "Let go of me."

"Not until you listen to what I have to say!" Ozzie clung harder, pulling the cape rather tight across Magus' throat.

"Stop that! You're choking me," Magus gasped, trying to tug the cape free. "All right, I'll listen!" When Ozzie released him, he swished his cape out of the Mystic's reach. "This had better be good, or I swear I'm going to kill you."

"That redheaded kid is here with the Frog. They want you to go along with them to stage some sort of wedding for his friend, Lucca. I'm not too clear on all the details, but they said there was money involved. _Big_ money, if you get my meaning. It's a favor for their king, or something like that. In short, all that is required is a little acting on your part and we can walk away with a huge sum of gold."

"You bothered me for that?" Magus thought about this for a second. "Not good enough." He powered up his lightening again.

Ozzie flailed his arms in desperation. "Well, do you have any better ideas on how to make money? You're the one who said he wanted something to do! Here's a chance to help your people _and_ have some fun!"

"That wasn't what I meant!" Magus said peevishly. "I wanted to fight something, or create mayhem, not prance down the isle like some fop!"

"And how is this not creating enough mayhem for you? I said it would be a challenge. That Frog fellow seems to be really intent on this charade. Do you really want him to win? Could you live it down when he comes back and calls you a coward for not even trying to beat him?"

Magus let his power die, suddenly feeling tired. "The amphibian wouldn't dare say such a thing," he scoffed. "And even if he did, why should I care? The opinions of other people have never mattered much to me. I don't see why they should now."

Ozzie backed up a pace. "Very well. I have no choice. I didn't want to do this, but if it's the only way to get what I want, then so be it." He rolled up his sleeves and took a deep breath. "Magus," he intoned in a deep voice. "As leader of the Mystics I _command_ you to get married!" He pointed. "Now get out there and take one for the team!"

Magus simply stared. "You...really think that's going to make me change my mind?"

"It has to. I'm the Mystic leader, after all. And as such, you have to do what I tell you!"

"Right." Magus snapped his fingers and Ozzie was set on fire by a low level spell. "I'm going back to bed now." He left the green Mystic to put himself out, returning to his bed to close his eyes, reopen them, and pretend that their whole conversation had been nothing more than a strange dream.

--

Ozzie returned to the main entryway where he had left the others. Crono and Frog were holding a quiet conversation near the front doors while Slash and Flea seemed oddly quiet and upset.

"Jeeze, what happened to you?" Slash asked, eyeing Ozzie's charred attire.

"Magus," he replied, as if it explained everything, which it did.

Crono stepped forward. "Is he going to help me or not?"

Ozzie coughed out some smoke and patted down his clothing, releasing a small cloud of flaky black dust around him. "Well, he didn't say 'no' outright."

"Methinks that he hast proven his point." Frog smirked behind a hand, eyeing Ozzie's burned robe. "Come, Crono. Let us depart."

"Now hold on there!" Ozzie floated closer to the duo. "If I know anything about Magus, he just needs some time to think it over. I gave a very persuasive argument, and I think he'll come around by morning. Why don't you stay here for the night? And if he still doesn't want to go with you, you can leave."

"Stay in this Gnawer's nest? Sure thou doth jest. " Frog turned up his wide nose at the Mystic. "I wouldst sooner trust my back to a common cutthroat than the likes of you."

Crono chewed on his bottom lip. "It's not like they've tried to do anything evil to us. Maybe it's okay to trust them this time?" He ignored Frog's shocked look. "Besides, it'll save us from flying back and forth across Guardia."

The amphibian swordsman looked at his friend as if he had taken leave of his senses. "If thou sayest so, Crono. But I wouldst feel better if I might be allowed to stand watch tonight?"

"You don't have to--"

"Actually," Slash interrupted, "that might not be such a bad idea. I mean, who knows what would happen if anyone else knew we had Humans staying in the Fort? It might cause some problems."

"Tell Slash that I agree with him," Flea told Ozzie, who gave her a strange look.

Slash rolled his eyes. "Tell Flea that she's acting like a little kid."

"And you can tell Slash where he can stuff it!"

"Oh yeah?! Tell Flea that she needs to get over herself! It was just a joke. I wouldn't really trade her in for a Human."

"Would you two just break up already?" Ozzie moaned. "You're never going to get along, so why are you trying to keep it together?"

Flea looked at Ozzie as if he were daft. "Where have you been? We're a team!"

Slash nodded, coming to stand next to the female magician. He draped an arm around her thin shoulders. "That's right! She's like a brother to me. A sexy, beautiful brother with boobs and less guy stuff."

Flea gave Slash an askew look. "Is that what you're thinking about when we're...you know?"

"Sometimes."

Ozzie threw up his hand. "Okay, stop right there. That is not where I wanted this conversation to end up." He made a disgusted face, motioning for Crono and Frog to follow him. "While you two go play in the gutter, I'm taking our guests to their room."

They left the blue swordsman and his blushing magician to their own devices.

Ozzie thought to himself where he should put Crono and Frog so they wouldn't be underfoot and where they were least likely to be discovered. He finally chose to house them in the east corridor for the night. It was mostly uninhabited thanks to huge parts of the ceiling having collapsed, making quite a few of the rooms unfit to stay in. There were a couple that had remained intact, and it was to one of these rooms that Ozzie led them.

"Watch out for holes," he warned, steering around a small fissure in the stone floor. "And be careful of uneven footing."

"What happened here?" Crono asked, looking around him at the declining Fort. "It wasn't this bad last year."

Ozzie shrugged, making his blubber jiggle. "This place is much older than I am. I'm not surprised that it's finally falling apart. We used to cast spells to reinforce the stonework and keep out termites from the wooden supports, but we let them die out. I didn't think we'd be moving back in. Once the war was over, I expected to be living in Castle Guardia." He glared at Frog. "Of course, it doesn't help that we get unwanted visitors charging in here to blow the place up."

Frog bristled. "I'll thank thee to watch thy tongue, varlet!"

Crono spoke up before Frog started a fight. "So, what's the deal with the Mystics leaving here to live in Magus' castle? Why did you have to construct a new building when this one would have worked too?"

"It was Magus's idea, and it's not like we could have just told him 'no.' Besides, looking back I can tell that my desire to remain here wasn't because I was attached to the place, only that I didn't want to have to work. Ten years ago, I was what you Humans might call 'middle-aged.' We Mystics live longer lives than most of your kind, but look at me! I'm not exactly in the best condition to go hauling rocks all over the place, now am I? But he said it was important, and who am I to go against the mighty Magus? Besides, he said that it was vital to the summoning of Lavos."

Crono stumbled forward as one of his boot toes snagged on a rock jutting out of the floor.

Frog used his good arm to steady him.

"Thanks," the young man said.

"'Twas not a problem, my friend."

"I told you to be careful." Ozzie put his hands behind his back, adopting a scholarly sort of voice. "It is a shame about this place, though. It's been the ancestral home of the Mystics for as long as I can remember. I used to be very proud of it. That is, until we built Magus his own castle and I realized how outdated this place really was. Maybe it was something great back in the day, but every new Mystic leader wanted to add more and more to it. We've found whole sections that had been sealed off, several levels of basement, and even an afterimage of the Fort that had been created by bending space and time to house some Magus from another age." Noting Crono's puzzled look, Ozzie added, "Not our Magus. That's just a term we Mystics use. It means 'great magician.' To hold the title of Magus is to be recognized as a powerful spell caster."

"I see."

Ozzie stopped in front of a worn wooden door. "Here you go." He jiggled the handle a bit and pushed. The door groaned open. "I know it's a little cramped, but it's only for tonight."

Crono and Frog stepped into the room and looked it over. There wasn't very much to see. A bunk bed was situated against the back wall with a small table next to it and a waste bucket had been pushed into a corner with a small window over it. The furniture seemed a little dusty, but there weren't any cobwebs.

"This will be fine," Crono agreed. "Thanks."

"Fine indeed! If thou dost not mind staying in such filth." Frog picked up a blanket from the lowest bunk and shook it out. A little cloud of dust puffed out. "I shall dearly miss mine home this night."

"It'll be fine. We've slept in worse conditions before." Crono refrained from mentioning that Frog's "home" was probably dirtier than the room, if only because he lived in a hole under a bush in the middle of a forest.

Ozzie shrugged. "If you don't like it, then go home."

"And leave Crono alone and unguarded? Unthinkable!" Frog shook his head. "Nay, I shall remain." To prove his point, he sat down on the bottom bunk, cradling his bad arm.

The fat Mystic chuckled. "Times have changed, but your protectiveness has not. Do whatever makes you happy, Froggy." He turned back to Crono. "I'll have Flea or Slash bring you some food in a little bit."

The redheaded young man nodded. "All right."

"It should go without saying that wandering around the Fort is strictly prohibited. The last thing I need is for a riot to break out, understand?"

"Yeah."

"Good. You can lock the door from the inside if it will make you feel more comfortable. Any questions?" Ozzie waited, but his two guests shook their heads. "No? Okay then. Whatever Magus decides to do, I'll come fetch you about three hours after sunrise." And with that, he closed the door.

The silence stretched between the two companions for a while. When it started to be uncomfortable, Crono cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that I dragged you into this. I know you'd rather be anywhere but here right now."

Frog sighed and kicked off his boots before stretching out on his chosen bed. He wiggled his knobby green toes with their hints of webbed skin flexing in-between them. "Thy forgiving nature does thee credit, but had thy friends and loved ones suffered because of such knaves as these, I imagine thou wouldst be of a different mind about them."

"I'm not asking you to like them," Crono replied slowly. "But maybe it's time to set hatred aside in hopes of a better future, one where everyone gets along."

"Perhaps." Frog's voice was noncommittal. He adjusted the splint on his arm.

Crono pointed at it. "Will you be okay on this trip? Shouldn't you have brought along some medicine?"

Frog made a face. "Though I faith that the physician who gave it to me meant well, there are times when the remedy is far more nauseating than the illness."

--

Magus had returned to his room, but found himself pacing instead of resting. That stupid Ozzie! Who did he think he was to order him, the Magus, to do something so...so... He lacked words to describe just how infuriating the whole ordeal was.

"If he thinks getting married would be some sort of amusing distraction for me, he's got another think coming!" Magus considered hurling some magic at his walls to relieve some of his anger, but decided against it. Just his luck, the room would cave in and he'd be buried under who knew how many tons of rubble.

_What a pathetic argument he gave_, the wizard raged to himself. _Why should I care about what that idiot Frog thinks or does? If it's his desire to go off and hook up with Lucca, why should I do anything to hinder that? In fact, I should be happy that he'll be out from underfoot for a while. _

He stopped pacing and began adjusting his gloves. It was an uncontious habit he had fallen into over the years, and for those who knew him, it was a sign of agitation. He tugged on the well-used leather, stretching his fingers until they strained against their confines before switching to the other hand to do the same thing. It made him feel somewhat better when he was finished.

A snarky part of his brain piped up. _But if Frog goes, what will I do to entertain myself while he's gone?_

"It doesn't matter!" Magus replied out loud. "I'll do something productive like...look for Schala again. That's it! I'm sure there are places I still haven't looked in yet." Even as he said that, he knew that wasn't the case. He had searched high and low for his missing sister, and hadn't found a single clue as to her whereabouts. Of one thing he was certain: she wasn't in this time, nor in the appropriately titled Dark Ages. That world had been dark indeed, still filled with snow and ice drifts that hindered his search. He hated to consider the possibility that his beloved sibling had been lost to the ocean's icy current.

_I haven't checked all the time streams,_ that part of his brain spoke up again. _Just as the Gurus were tossed into separate times, perhaps Schala was sent someplace as well._

Magus leaned his back against one of the walls, folding his arms over his chest and lowering his head in thought. "This is true. I have seen other times while traveling around with the others, but I never thought to explore beyond my backyard, as it were." And the more he thought about it, the more logical it sounded. What had ever possessed him to believe that Schala was undoubtedly in places he knew as well as the back of his hand? Of course she would be in a place he was least likely to ever think of looking.

_A place like 1001 AD, maybe. It's well populated, and only four hundred or so years from where I ended up. In the broad scheme of things, a four hundred year gap in time travel is like the blink of an eye._ He was getting excited just thinking about the prospect. _What if she has been there the whole time, waiting for me? We would finally be reunited!_

Magus took a deep, shaky breath. "Calm down," he told himself. "You don't know if she's really there or not. It's a long shot at best and you know what Crono is going to ask of you in exchange."

That put a damper on his lightening mood. Had he taken leave of his senses so much to have forgotten that little detail? This wasn't supposed to be a chance for him to find his sister at all, just to participate in some sort of messed up prank on that girl Lucca.

_I really don't want to get involved in that_. He chewed on the tip of his leather-covered thumb. _But it's looking more and more like I won't have any choice in the matter._ A devious smirk crossed his features. _I could always lose on purpose. If Frog wants to marry his precious little inventor girl, he can have her. As for me, I can devote myself to my search without having to deal with either of them. When I get back, I'll just tell Ozzie that I was 'sorely outclassed by the miserable wretch' and how 'disappointed' I am that all that lovely money was wasted on the likes of him._

His plan was sounding better by the minute. Magus grinned outright, glancing at his reflection in the vanity across the room. He looked downright fiendish.

"Forgive my delay, old friend," he said, pretending that he was speaking to Crono. "But it seems as though I have had a change of heart. Of course I will accompany you! I can't let Frog steal all the glory, can I?" He gave a conspiratorial wink at himself in the mirror which caused him to cackle with mirth, his first really wicked laugh in a long, long time.


	6. The Competition Begins

**Much Ado About Lucca **

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 6: The Competition Begins**

Ozzie woke them exactly as he said he would. The morning sun was obscured by the ever present mists of this time, diluting its warmth and making it a pale yellow. Cold wind blew into the hallway through holes in the roof and windows where the glass had been broken.

"Mmmculd," Crono muttered, hugging himself, frowning.

"What was that?" Frog asked.

"I'm cold," his friend said louder, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He wasn't used to getting up so early. He shuffled along beside Frog, often stumbling over the uneven floor because his eyes closed by themselves sometimes.

Ozzie looked over at Crono. "I'll take you to the kitchen for some breakfast. It's warm in there. I'll have Slash stand guard so that you two remain undisturbed. Magus should be awake by now, so I'll bring back his answer in a little bit."

The redhead mumbled his thanks.

The kitchen was indeed warmer than the drafty hallways had been. An inviting fire had been started in the hearth and a cauldron hung over it. Something white and lumpy was bubbling in it. Slash was standing to one side peeling apples and chopping them into slices before dropping them into the pot. Had Crono been more awake, he would have laughed. The blue swordsman was wearing an apron over his gi to keep it clean, but it looked very out of place on him.

When he saw them, Slash grunted. "It's about time you showed up. I'm not standing here cooking all morning for my own fun, you know."

Ozzie guided their guests to the large table that stood in the central part of the room. As they got seated, he fetched two wooden bowls for them. "Quit your bellyaching! You know you were going to fix something for Flea, anyway. You always do, the morning after."

Slash stirred the goo in the pot, adding some brown spice. He grinned at his boss. "You listened in on us again? How shameless!"

"I didn't want to, but you two are always so loud about it! Besides, you know part of my bedroom floor is missing and your room is right under mine." He set the bowls down in front of Crono and Frog a lot harder than what was warranted. "When you're done with breakfast, watch over these two. Keep everyone else out, forcefully if you have to. We've done well so far. Let's not stretch our luck." He began to float out the kitchen door.

"Trust me, we shall leave thy environs as soon as possible," Frog remarked after him. "Is that not right, Crono?"

"Mmm-hmm," he replied, laying his head down on the tabletop, eyes closed again. "To far away times."

Frog sighed a bit testily. "Thou art hopeless before noon." Then he yawned. He had stayed up most of the night to keep watch. Even though Crono had agreed to split the shift with him, Frog hadn't been able to wake him and had ended up covering the whole shift by himself. He wasn't angry at Crono, not really. But he wished that the youth wouldn't act so calm about things. They were in the presence of enemies, after all.

"It's ready," Slash announced, indicating the stuff in the cauldron.

Crono made a muffled moan, but didn't move from his seat. Frog sighed again and collected both of their bowls. As he came over, he cautiously sniffed the steam rising off of the bubbling substance. He could smell apples and cinnamon, and the white stuff looked to be a thin gruel of sorts.

"I'm a swordsman, not an assassin," Slash reminded him, taking off his apron. "Poisons aren't my style."

"Hmph!" Frog set down the bowls to free a hand. He grasped the ladle and tried to use his injured arm to reach for one of the bowls again. He gasped in pain and had to stop.

Slash watched him for a moment before stepping in. "Give me that before you make a mess," he said, taking the ladle out of Frog's good hand. He grabbed a dish and poured a small amount into it. He handed it over when he was done. "Try that and see if you like it."

Frog glared but didn't say anything. He blew on the food a couple of times to cool it down, before touching his lips to the side of the bowl and drinking it. He swished it around in his mouth for a moment before swallowing.

Slash raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"'Tis passing fair," Frog replied grudgingly. His actions did not echo his words as he glanced with hungry eyes at the pot.

Slash chuckled and began to fill both bowls to the brim. "You wouldn't think to look at me, but despite being a weapons master, I am also a great cook." He leaned against one of the kitchen walls when he was finished, folding his arms over his chest. "Yeah, it's tough being so talented."

Frog grunted. "If thou sayest." He set the filled bowls down on the table. He poked the top of Crono's head with one knobby green finger. "Awaken, Crono, and partake of thy breakfast. Thou hast had nary a thing to eat since last eve."

If there was anything of higher priority to Crono than sleep, it was food. He lifted his head off the table and peered with bleary eyes at the steaming food in front of him. "What's that?"

"My famous apple porridge," Slash answered. "You'll love it, I promise."

Crono looked as if he were trying to choose between eating or going back to sleep on the tabletop. The tantalizing fumes wafted under his nose, causing his stomach to rumble loudly. In the end, it was no contest. He picked up the bowl, making a face as his fingertips burned a bit. "Do you have any spoons?"

Slash shrugged. "Sure, if you want to wash one yourself." He nodded at a tub piled near to overflowing with dirty dishes. A few flies were already beginning to buzz around them.

If there was a spoon in there, it would take a while to dig through the crusty dishes and Crono wasn't about to go rummaging around in that filth. "I'll pass," he said, blowing gently on the surface of his meal.

--

Magus was brushing out his long blue hair when Ozzie came knocking at his door. He took his time in answering, turning his head this way and that as he examined his reflection in his mirror. Every hair was perfectly brushed back from his forehead and distinctive widow's peak. He set down the brush and picked up his cape from where he'd draped it over his bed. The knocking on his door was more insistent this time. Magus fastened his cape into place and rolled his eyes at his reflection. Sometimes Ozzie could be such a pain in the neck.

He went to the door and opened it, nearly causing Ozzie to fall into the room. He raised an eyebrow at the fat Mystic. "Listening at my door, were you?"

Ozzie smoothed his outfit and faced the younger man. "I was only trying to determine whether or not you were still asleep. I knocked at least twenty times."

"You knocked ten times, and as you can see, I'm awake." The tall wizard pushed past Ozzie, closing and locking his door behind him with a few magical incantations. "Well?"

Ozzie crossed his arms. "Well what?"

Magus sighed. "What do you want?"

Realization dawned on Ozzie's face. "Oh, right! That." He puffed himself up, trying to look imposing. "I've come to see if you've changed your mind about obeying my orders. I'm not a person to cross, you understand. I'd think twice about saying 'no' to me again."

"I'll go."

"Now, look here! Don't you give me none of your sass, Magus! You'll do as I tell you or else-" Ozzie faltered. "Er, what?"

Magus smiled. "I said, I'll go. I've changed my mind. You were right. I owe it to my people to give them a hand after all the problems I've caused. I only hope that with this act of generosity, I can somehow earn your forgiveness."

Ozzie eyed the other Mystic with a strange expression. He scratched his head in thought. "It looks like Magus, but the words he speaks are all funny."

The smile dropped off the wizard's face. "Okay, so I can't fool you with this act."

"Not even a little."

"But do you think the others will swallow it?"

"Probably not. I thought you said you were a good actor?"

Magus scowled. "I'm not used to pretending to be..._nice_."

"Hmm." Ozzie put his hands behind his back. "But do you really mean what you said? About changing your mind, that is."

Magus nodded. "Yes. Make no mistake; I have my own agenda in mind. But...I suppose it won't hurt to make you your money on the side. After all, I don't want to appear too suspicious."

"That's the spirit, my boy!" Ozzie cheered. "Come on. Let's go. The others are waiting for us in the kitchen."

As he walked, Magus glanced down at the shorter Mystic floating beside him. "I'm letting you know right now that if your plan interferes with my reasons for going, I'm not going to hesitate to choose my goals over yours." He thought about Schala and felt that surge of excitement again.

"What goals? You've never said anything about having goals in life!" Ozzie looked put out. "And why haven't I heard anything about this sooner? Don't we tell each other everything?" When Magus gave him a withering stare, he waved his hands. "Okay, okay. I get the message."

"This is important to me. I'm not going to let anyone or anything mess this up. Not even you, Ozzie."

"I suppose this is another of your pet projects you're talking about." Ozzie shook his head. "First it was learning portal magic, then summoning your Lavos monster, and after that, running off with those kids. Why can't you ever just settle down, kill some villagers, rule the masses..."

Magus couldn't help but smirk. "And lead the dull life of a corrupt and tyrannical statesman? That's hardly an ideal retirement for me. Besides, you've always been the true ruler of the Mystics and I wouldn't want to take that away from you. You wouldn't know what to do with yourself otherwise."

"How kind," Ozzie responded sardonically. "Though with the headaches you keep causing me, you've made it a real struggle to keep things under control around here."

Magus knew that Ozzie was loath to admit it, but without power to back his rule, the fat Mystic wouldn't have lasted as long as he had. After their unsuccessful campaign against the Humans, many Mystics had become dissatisfied with Ozzie's leadership. It had taken everything he'd had just to keep from getting lynched by an angry mob after Magus left.

With the help of Flea and Slash, he'd managed to keep his head above water. He had promised that once Magus returned they would all be living a better life. So far, his words had been empty talk, though it was hardly his fault with their coffers almost empty. But Magus' presence in the Fort again seemed to calm everyone down. They had faith in him that he wouldn't let the Mystic race fall into shadow and disappear from this new world of Human strength.

_Such misplaced devotion,_ the blue-haired man thought. _If I couldn't even save the one person who mattered the most to me, what makes them think I could save any of them? _

And it wasn't as if he even wanted to. They were all a bunch of greedy, mean-spirited lowlifes with barely a shred of honor or compassion. And yet, on some base level that he didn't like to examine too closely, they were as much his people as the Zealians had been.

_If all goes well, and I do find Schala, perhaps I will rebuild this kingdom of magic._

They entered the kitchen to find their guests still at the table. While Ozzie floated over to raid the cauldron with Slash's help, Crono paused his eating to yawn and waved a greeting. Frog ignored their arrival entirely. From his stiffened posture, it was apparent that he wasn't happy in the slightest.

Magus couldn't help but feel his own temper rising, even though they hadn't even spoken yet. It was as if such nearness to the amphibian was enough to make him want to fight.

"Good morning, Crono" he said lightly, leaning his left hip against the edge of the table. He didn't take his eyes off his nemesis. "And good morning to you, Froggy." His thin lips curled in sadistic derision. "How's the arm?"

Frog slammed down his bowl, jumping to his feet. His green and brown skin was mottled with discoloration from his anger. "Silence! Do not speak to me, do not come near me, and do not bait me whilst on this trip!"

"Knock it off, Magus." Crono pushed aside his own empty bowl. "Whatever issues you're dealing with, get over them now, because I'm not going to present you to Lucca while you're going at each other's throats." He got to his feet, facing the wizard, a sleepy frown on his face. "I take it that you've agreed to come with us?"

"Will that be a problem?" His soft, venomous smile said that he didn't care even if it was.

"As long as you behave yourself and don't start picking fights, we're good to go." Crono hesitated. "So, you're the one who broke Frog's arm?" His tone was disapproving.

Magus shrugged. "My aim was off. I intended to snap his neck."

Frog gurgled in rage. From between clenched teeth, he said, "Crono, I cannot bear it any longer! If I must endure even a second more of this villain's tongue, I dare say I shall rip it from his mouth with mine own hands!" He trembled with the force of his emotions. "Enough! I must go. I shall be by the Epoch when thou art ready to depart." He made as if to escape from the room and his sworn enemy.

Crono opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Magus stepped in front of the fleeing amphibian. There was a tense moment where everyone held their breath, waiting to see if this would culminate in bloodshed. The magician and the Frog stared at each other from hate-filled eyes, but it was Magus who backed down first, much to the surprise of those gathered.

"Forgive me," he said. "That was uncalled for."

Magus chose his words carefully. If he upset Frog too much, Crono might decide that bringing him along might not be worth the hassle, even if it was at his king's request. He wouldn't risk that, not even for the pleasure of taunting the knight.

"Our feud should remain dormant for the duration of this ordeal," he continued. "As such, I declare a ceasefire between Froggy, I mean, between Glenn and I until the time when we return here, at whatever date that may be." He looked to Crono. "Is that acceptable?"

Crono looked to Frog. "Well?"

The amphibian knight gave the barest of nods. His voice was chilly when he spoke. "Stay out of mine way, Magus, and I shall stay out of yours."

"I don't suppose it would be too much to ask that you change Frog back into a man?" Crono asked. "After all, you're at a ceasefire and it would be a gesture of goodwill on your part."

Magus gave a dry smile. "The only way that curse is going to be lifted is over my dead body. And while I'm sure your esteemed Sir Knight would relish putting a number of stab wounds in me, I wouldn't. No, he's going to be stuck like that until hell freezes over or I'm dead. Whichever comes first."

Crono shook his head. "You're so stubborn." But he didn't press the issue. He knew that it was futile. "Did you want some breakfast before we go?"

Magus curled his lip as he watched Ozzie making a pig of himself. He'd already finished the bowl Slash had given him and was now trying to drink out of the ladle. "I'm not hungry."

"Then let's head out."

Slash accompanied them to where the redhead had parked the Epoch outside the grove of protective trees around the Fort. He whistled as he saw it. "Is this the thing that lets you go ripping back and forth through time?" He reached out a blue hand and caressed the shiny metal. "Do you think...maybe...you could teach me how to make it run?"

"Not a chance. The last thing we need is you going around mucking things up in other times," Magus snapped.

Slash crossed his arms and fumed as Crono hit the ignition. He hovered by the Epoch's side as the knight and the wizard boarded. "Can I come along?"

"Don't be stupid. Can't you see there's only room enough for three passengers?"

The blue swordsman made a noise of disgust. "You never let me have any fun, Magus. I bet if it were Ozzie, _he'd_ let me come along. You suck."

"Just go back inside!"

"Next stop, four hundred years into the future," Crono shouted above the noise of the engine. He twisted a dial, pulled back on a lever, and then the world blurred to colored lines which raced past them at outrageous speeds.


	7. The Stage is Set

**Much Ado About Lucca **

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 7: The Stage is Set**

**1001 A.D--**

"Get away from me!"

"Tis thou that art invading my space! Thou art on _my_ side of the Epoch. I told thee to keep to thy own side."

"Spare me your whining! You're the one sprawling all over the place, hitting me with that arm!"

"OUCH! Fiend! As soon as we land, truce or not, thou art as good as dead!"

Crono sighed and took the Epoch in a lazy swoop around Castle Guardia. "We're almost there, guys. Try to contain your excitement for a little bit longer, please."

Frog rubbed the spot on his rib where he'd been elbowed by the magician crowding next to him in the back seats. "Twas Magus that started it! He is purposefully invading mine space!"

"For the love of...!" Magus threw his hands in the air. "Grow up, Froggy! I'm sure Cyrus would turn over in his grave if he knew how you turned out." He ignored Glenn's indignant sputtering and leaned his chin into his left palm and stared out the window.

Nothing had really changed between his home and Crono's. There were more trees, newer houses, and people wore stranger clothing. He'd never gotten the chance to explore Guardia Castle in his age, but he had been able to do some snooping around the last time he'd been brought here, to Crono's "present day." He felt sure that the layout was almost identical between the two castles. There was a new wing added, he noted, as Crono brought the Epoch down towards it.

The time machine hummed as its landing gear was initiated. Within moments, they had set down on a large wooden platform with a red circle painted in the center.

Crono leaned back in the pilot's seat, happy to be home. He unbuckled the seat belt and turned off the ignition. With the flip of a switch, their chairs lowered from the bottom of the Epoch so they could get out. As he moved to help Frog get unbuckled, Magus was already out of the harness and on his feet.

"So when do we begin?" he asked.

Crono gave him an askew look. Was it possible that Magus had secret feelings for Lucca? Or was his sudden enthusiasm due to something else?

"Fiend," Glenn muttered again, adjusting his clothing. "Whatever thou art planning, thou canst forget it. Thou art here only by Sir Crono's good graces. Thou shalt speak only when spoken to, _politely_, or do not speak at all."

"That might be a bit hard when I propose to Lucca and win her heart," Magus replied easily. "Don't look so upset, Froggy. You can be my best man. We're so close, after all." Then he laughed. "I'll send you detailed letters about the honeymoon."

Crono had to grab Frog by his shoulders to hold him back from attacking the wizard. "Magus, stop that! No more picking on each other, remember? Your sarcasm isn't lightening tensions any. And Frog, you can't get so offended by every thing that comes out of his mouth. He does it to make you upset and it works every time."

Frog jerked free and shook a wrinkle out of his cape. "Thou art right. But he doth make mine blood boil."

"It's about time you returned!" The three turned to find the Chancellor huffing and puffing his way up the stairs. He held his official robes hitched up so he didn't trip on the hem. "His Majesty has been awaiting your return with much anticipation." The old man looked over Frog and Magus with the barest show of interest. "I see you managed to bring your dubious friends along."

"Um, yeah." Crono rubbed the back of his head. "We're ready to see King Guardia whenever he's got the time."

The Chancellor shrugged. "This way, then." The three followed behind the old man as he creaked his way back down the stairs. "I trust you explained the situation to them thoroughly, Crono?"

"I explained the ruse," the red-haired swordsman replied.

"Then you two know what's at stake here. The kingdom's future rests in your hands. If Princess Nadia isn't married, she'll continue on this path of reckless behavior. His Majesty believes that settling down will no doubt calm her wild impulses."

Magus paused to examine a tapestry hanging on the wall. "You don't sound as if you share King Guardia's opinion," he said, darting a sly glance at the old man.

The Chancellor sniffed. "What matters is what the King believes, not me. Now come along. We mustn't dilly-dally all day. There's work to be done."

Magus resisted the urge to laugh.

The Chancellor led the trio to the dining hall. During certain hours, the royal family and the court would partake their meals, while other hours were designated for the knights and servants. At the moment, King Guardia and Marle were finishing up their breakfast of ham, eggs, and toast.

"Crono!" Marle bounced out of her chair and jumped into his arms. "I missed you. Why'd you go away without telling me?"

"Crono was running an errand for me, daughter," King Guardia said before Crono could open his mouth.

"That sounds fishy," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "What sort of errand involves going back in time?" She turned to Frog and gave him a warm hug. "It's good to see you again, Glenn! How's Queen Leene doing? What happened to your arm?"

"The Queen be in excellent health. She is preparing to have her first child."

Marle giggled. "That's a relief. Sometimes I get a little nervous thinking about what might become of me if she didn't."

Frog shot a dirty look at Magus. "As for mine arm..."

Marle drooped. "Oh, you're not still fighting each other, are you? I was really hoping that you'd have made peace by now."

"We're trying," Magus responded, suffering her hug with a pat to her back. "But you know how Glenn can be. He just never lets things go."

Frog harumphed and refused to comment, turning his back on the warlock. "Tis good to see thee in fine spirits, Princess."

The blonde girl giggled again. "You're still so formal."

"Daughter, I'm sure you'd like to catch up with Crono," the King interrupted, pushing aside his dirty dishes. "Why not go into town together and find a nice rug for my room."

Marle cocked her head. "A rug? But Daddy, you already have one in your room."

The King visibly grit his teeth. "Then find me another one."

"C'mon, Marle." Crono put an arm around her shoulders and started steering her out the door. When King Guardia started using that tone, it was best to just do as one was told. "I'll buy you some candy while we're out and about."

"Oooh, chocolate-covered cherry cordials?"

Crono smiled. "Whatever makes you happy."

"Good-bye, everyone! We'll be back soon!" Marle called over her shoulder as she took Crono's hand and nearly dragged him down the hall.

"Not too soon, I hope," the King muttered under his breath. He waited until Marle was well out of earshot before clasping his hands in front of him. He gave both Frog and Magus an appraising look. "You've been brought here today to perform a very delicate task. My daughter, though I love her more than words can express, has taken it into her pony-tailed head that she won't marry unless Lucca does first. Because of this, I am asking you, as the King of Guardia Kingdom, to devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the task of the apparent seduction of Lucca Ashtear."

"You two are aware of her nature, are you not?" the Chancellor asked. "His Majesty believed that Lucca would feel more comfortable with this charade if it was with someone she knew, a friend. How does she feel about you two?"

"I dare say that Lady Lucca and I are good friends," Frog replied at once. "Might I add that I think the world of her. Her grace, her beauty, her fiery spirit and wit have captivated me since the day I first laid mine eyes upon her."

The Chancellor nodded. "And you?" he directed at Magus.

The magician shrugged. "She tried to kill me once."

"I...see."

The King waved a bejeweled hand. "The heart of the matter is thus: are you two willing to go through with a false wedding?"

Frog nodded vehemently. "Of course!"

Magus shrugged again. "Sorry if I'm sounding a little unenthusiastic about all of this, but shouldn't the _real_ heart of the matter be whether or not _Lucca_ will agree to have us?"

King Guardia cleared his throat. "That's beside the point."

Magus shook his head. "Maybe it's just me, but everyone seems incredibly eager to mess with Lucca's life. She doesn't even get a say in all of this, does she? You're just going to order her to do her civic duty to the crown, and that'll be the end of it." Magus leaned a hip against the side of the table and helped himself to a piece of toast. "But that's her problem, not mine. _My_ main concern is that she'd rather die than go through with this, and I'm going to end up leaving empty handed." Taking a bite, he tossed the unfinished slice of bread onto the table. "So, what I propose is that you front half of the money now as a consolation prize in case we end up staying bachelors."

Everyone stared at the blue-haired man with gaping mouths.

"S-such impudence!" the Chancellor sputtered. "How dare you speak that way to his gracious Majesty!"

"Save it, Shorty. I'm not here because I care about what happens to your precious kingdom, or because Crono and Marle deserve each other, or because I've got some secret longing for a girl with glasses. The only reason why I agreed to come along in the first place was because I was told that there'd be some sort of reward involved. If that's not the case, you all can have fun playing house, but I've got other things I could be doing right now."

"Such mercenary sentiments," King Guardia replied in a low, angry voice. "Tell me, sir. Do you harbor any feelings of friendliness or affection towards Lucca at all?"

"I'm not going to professing my undying love to her, if that's what you're hinting at," Magus replied in bored tones. "Besides, wouldn't you rather my interest be purely financial? I wouldn't call that being mercenary, just honest."

Frog jumped forward. "King Guardia, do not listen to this varlet's lies! He is a cruel man, with nary a care for anyone but himself. Should Lady Lucca be forced to endure such a rogue as this? Nay! Send him away and let a man who cares deeply for her be the one to fulfill this deed." Frog lowered his eyes. "I know mine countenance is...unseemly to thine eyes. But my heart is as true as any knight's, and my passion as ardent. I will admit, the thought that I might somehow win the affection of the fair Lucca does appeal to me, but I shant force her to stay wed to me any longer than the ruse needeth extend. Of this, I swear upon the Masamune."

"Enough." King Guardia rose to his feet. "I shall take both of your arguments under consideration. For the meantime, please be guests in the castle for the duration of your stay. Chancellor, I would speak with you in my chambers." So saying, the monarch left the dining hall while maids scurried to clear the table for the next wave of people.

"For the time being, you both are free to do as you please," the Chancellor told them. "We close the castle gates at sundown, so if you go into town, please do not be late." Then he hurried after his liege.

Magus stretched. "I guess that's that." He was more than happy to get out of the castle and get started with his search for Schala. When he saw Frog staring at him with venom, he quirked an eyebrow. "What's on your mind, Froggy?"

"Know this, villain. It shall be _I_ and not _you_ who wins the hand of Lady Lucca!" So saying, he pushed past Magus without another word.

Magus watched the short amphibian go with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Could it be that Glenn was a little...anxious?

"Whatever you say, Froggy," he called after him. "Whatever you say."

--

"What do you think of this one, Crono?" Marle held up a red and blue patterned rug for him to see. She frowned when she saw him staring out the window of the shop. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm?" He roused himself from his wandering thoughts. "Oh, I'm sorry. I like it. Green is a great color for your dad's room."

"It's red and blue."

"Oh."

Marle put rug back on the pile and put her hands on her hips. "What's with you? You've been preoccupied ever since you came back. With Frog and Magus." She looked at him suspiciously. "Why did Daddy want you to bring them back, anyway?"

"Well, it's...um...You see, your dad was thinking about how old the castle is and, uh, he needed to know more about how much damage it took during the Human/Mystic War that both Frog and Magus fought in. Yeah. He wants to know if it's about time to do a renovation or if he should hold off a few more years." Crono felt sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He was a terrible liar.

Marle chewed her bottom lip, and he felt sure she could see right through him. Then she said, "That makes sense. I think I have a leaky corner in my room. I wonder if that was from the fighting. Maybe I'll ask Frog and Magus about that later. I don't want my doll collection to get ruined by water stains." She turned back to the rugs and missed Crono's look of profound relief. "I think I'll get this one for Daddy. He likes red, and Mom liked blue. I think it'll look great by the fireplace."

They took the rug to the shopkeeper who did his best not to look awed by the fact that the Princess of Guardia was in his shop. The rug turned out to be on sale, or at least, he said it was. Crono, ever the gentleman, paid for it and carried the bag it was in for his girlfriend.

"So where to now?" he asked as they stepped back out into the street.

"I want candy," Marle replied. She gave him an impish grin. "You promised."

Crono laughed. "Okay, candy it is."

The old woman hadn't changed her vending spot in as many years as Crono could count. Even during the Millennial Fair, when booths crowded around her, the old bat refused to move. Her candy booth was located in the back of the town square. People were known to go out of their way for her handmade creations. Lollipops as wide as a child's face were her specialty. They came in a rainbow of colors and held a place of honor as her display front. But the old woman also knew the secrets of making red licorice twists, chocolate-covered cherries, chewy caramel taffies, and parfaits blended with fresh fruit and sweet cream on top.

This was Marle's favorite place to shop.

"Hello, young lady," the old woman croaked. Her wrinkles moved as she smiled. "Have you come back for more of my goodies?"

"Yes!" Marle put her hands behind her back and leaned towards the glass case. "Everything looks so good! Whenever I come here, I always have a certain candy in mind. But after I look at the other things you're selling, I end up wanting them all."

"Well, take your time. It's been a little slow today. Just let me know when you're ready to buy." With that, the old woman sank down onto a three-legged stool and picked up her knitting.

The princess gave Crono a serious look. "This could take me a while," she warned. "You know how long it takes me to make up my mind."

"I know."

"Hey, stop laughing! I'm very serious when it comes to buying the right type of candy." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Meany."

"Mind if I go look at your bell while I'm waiting?"

"Yeah, uh huh," the princess replied, already distracted by the glitter of granulated sugar dusting on a gum drop.

Crono put a hand over his mouth to keep from busting up. Some girls went wild over flashy jewelry. Marle went wild over sweets. _At least she goes for something I can afford,_ he thought. _I don't know what I'd do if she wanted bracelets or necklaces all the time._

Nadia's Bell rocked from side to side in the gentle breeze, but not enough to make the clapper hit the sides. On the front was an inscription from Marle's father, dedicating the bronze bell to her. On the back, Lucca had begged to add an inscription of her own.

Crono came to stand in front of his friend's letters carved diligently into the metal:

_For friends of the Past_

_For friends of the Future_

_For friends who stand by us Today_

_May the sound of this bell_

_Guide our souls to meet again_

_At the End of Time_

Crono touched the words before giving the bell a little push. A deep, clear note resonated from it. He felt very proud all of a sudden. The bell was a symbol of all they had accomplished. He remembered that day when everyone had returned to their own times. Replaying it in his mind made his chest feel tight. He couldn't have asked for a better group of friends.

The swordsman pushed the bell again, letting it ring.

"You shouldn't play with it, you know. It's not a toy."

"Lucca!" The inventor had approached so quietly that he hadn't even noticed she'd been at his elbow for quite some time. "Where did you come from?"

"Duh! I was shopping, the same as you." She held up a sturdy cloth bag filled with unidentifiable metal. "Dad needed some new parts."

"I see. You sure snuck up on me."

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't been so spaced out." She adjusted her glasses. "I called your name twice. What's so fascinating about the bell?" She leaned close to examine it. "Are the engravings still okay?"

Crono was sheepish. "They're fine. I was just thinking about our adventure." He gestured at the words carved into the metal. "I never knew you were so poetic."

The purple-haired inventor set her bag down and stretched her shoulders. "Hmm. You don't think it was too corny, do you?"

"No way! It's great! I was really moved by it. It sounds like something you'd read in a book." Crono chuckled. "And you know me and books!"

Lucca laughed along. "Two words and you're out like a light. I don't know why. Books are fun! You should read more often. You might learn something new."

Crono made a face. "No thanks. I'll only read when I have to."

"Dummy." His friend gave him a light punch on the arm.

"So, why'd you want to inscribe Nadia's Bell? You were really insistent." Crono regretted his question when he saw Lucca's face grow somber.

"I dunno. I never really thought about why I did it. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time." She gave him a weak smile. "Ask me again some day. Maybe I'll know by then." Before Crono could say anything else, she grabbed his arm. "Hey, let's go sit down. I'm tired of carrying this stuff." She scooped up her things and led Crono over to the stairs. She plopped down and set her bag beside her.

Crono looked over his shoulder to check on Marle. She was busy chatting with the old woman and pointing out various goodies. He wondered how much this was going to cost him.

Lucca followed his gaze. "Should she really be left alone with candy like that? Isn't it a bit...dangerous?"

Crono sat down next to his friend and put Marle's rug next to him and leaned on it like an armrest. "Do _you_ want to be the one to tell her she'll get fat if she pigs out on sweets all the time?"

Lucca giggled. "Who me? I'd like to stay out of the dungeon, thanks." She raised an eyebrow at the rolled up carpet. "What's up with _that?_"

Crono shifted his weight and looked away. "King Guardia wanted some, uh, privacy. He has some important guests visiting and didn't want to be disturbed. He told me to take Marle shopping."

"Speaking of King Guardia-"

Crono groaned. He knew what was coming.

"-where were you yesterday?"

"I had to go run an errand?" Crono mentally kicked himself. He hated how nervous he sounded. Lucca's "I Know You're Up To Something" look wasn't helping any. "Don't believe me? Go ask the King. He'll tell you."

Lucca nodded. "Okay. So you were on an errand." She took a deep breath. "HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK I AM!?"

Crono flailed his arms. "Ow! That was really loud! You don't have to yell at me."

"What sort of errand requires you to use the Epoch? Huh!?"

"Lucca...!" Crono whined and ducked his head. "I'm really sorry, okay? But please stop shouting!" He looked over his shoulder. "Marle will hear you-"

"Like that should matter!" The girl put her hands on her hips. "You disappear without telling anybody where you're going, and you think everything will be okay?" Her eyes blazed. "What's so secret that you can't even tell your best friend, huh?"

"I really was on an errand for the king." Crono felt sweat gathering on his forehead. He was wilting under Lucca's scrutiny. "Using the Epoch," he added quickly. "I was, uh..."

"If you say something dumb, I'm gonna smack you." She looked like she would do it, too.

"I had to bring back Frog and Magus from the Middle Ages!" Crono blurted. "The King commanded it of me. I didn't want to, but he _made_ me do it. He said that if I wanted to marry Marle, I'd do what he said. And I really didn't know what to do. Everything has just gone from bad to worse." He dropped his head into his hands and moaned. "All I ever wanted to do was marry the girl I love. Why are the Gods against me?"

"Crono..."

He looked up at Lucca and saw her perplexed expression. He sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. "Like I said, it's complicated."

"Then why not do us all a favor and start at the beginning?"

Crono opened his mouth to explain but was interrupted by Marle's squeal of glee.

She ran up to her friends and kneeled down next to them. "Look at all the stuff I got!" She held open her paper sack for them to see inside. It looked like a treasure trove. Multicolored foil-wrapped candies shimmered like some robber's secret stash of loot. From the near fanatical gleam to Marle's eyes, it was clear that she was just as possessive of her sweets as any robber ever could be of his gold.

"That's great!" Crono said, happy to be able to change the subject. He wasn't ready to break the news to Lucca just yet.

"But weren't you going to tell me about your errand?" Lucca demanded. She didn't seem eager to let him off the hook just yet. Lucky for him, Marle jumped to his rescue.

"Oh, it wasn't anything big. Daddy was worried about the castle and wanted to get some advice from Frog and Magus." She peeled a red wrapper off a roundish chocolate confection and dropped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes in pleasure as she savored it. "I _love_ chocolate-covered cherries!"

Lucca didn't appear to be buying that story as easy as Marle had. "Why would your dad need Frog and Magus for something like that?"

The princess shrugged. "Because my room leaks. Crono said that Dad wants to know about how extensive the damage was during the war with the Mystics. It could explain a lot about why my stuff gets all wet when it rains."

"What?! That's what he told you? And you _believed him_?" Lucca looked dumbfounded at Crono who started to sweat even harder.

Marle gave her friend a shocked look. "Of course. It sounded perfectly reasonable, don't you think?"

Crono cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go pay for that candy."

"But didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?" Lucca protested.

"It can wait. I'll tell you later."

"But-"

"_LATER!_" And with that, he beat a hasty retreat.

Lucca watched him go with obvious concern. It wasn't like Crono to lie, and even less like him to lie to someone he really cared for, like Marle. And going off alone without them? That was even less like him. After all, hadn't they faced down Lavos together? What could be so terrible that he didn't want them to know about it? And why would he need Frog and Magus to be brought to this time period?

_Unless..._

An icy finger of dread worked its way down Lucca's spine. What if the threat to the universe hadn't been eliminated with the death of Lavos? What if there was an even greater foe out there, waiting for the chance to strike?

_Of course. It all makes sense now._ Lucca watched as Marle ate her candy, a contented smile on her sticky, chocolate-smeared face. _Crono wouldn't want to drag us into this. After all, I'm his best friend, and Marle is his fiancé. We were so happy and at peace. He wouldn't want to ruin that for us._ Her concern gave way to anger. _That jerk! Who asked him to protect me? I can handle myself in a fight. I've saved his ass more times than I can count! He's the one who needs protecting!_ Still, the idea of Crono looking out for her made her heart beat a little quicker and she blushed.

"Are you okay, Lucca?" Marle put one of her cool hands to her friend's forehead. "You're all red. Do you have a fever?"

"Oh! Um, n-no. I'm okay." Lucca forced those traitorous thoughts from her mind. "I'm just a little warm."

"Have some candy. It'll make you feel better." The princess pressed a couple of bonbons into the inventor's hand.

"Candy will make me feel cooler, huh?" Lucca grinned.

"No, but at least you'll be eating something good while you're baking."

"Gee, thanks." But the bespectacled girl couldn't help but laugh anyway.


	8. The Trouble With Parents

**Much Ado About Lucca**

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 8: The Trouble With Parents**

Crono peeked into the kitchen window. The coast looked clear, but he knew that looks could be deceiving when it came to his mom. There were only a few places she could be around the house.

_She could be in her bedroom_, he thought.She wasn't behind the house, watering the garden patch. He'd already checked. That meant... Rolling his eyes skyward, he put on a pleading face. _Please, __**please**__ don't let her be in my room._ He really needed to sneak in there and grab some stuff.

He tested the front door knob. The latch was undone. That wasn't so unusual, all things considered. No one really locked their doors much during the day, and he knew his mom would sometimes go visit Taban and Lara on the evenings when he was gone.

A pang of guilt made him hesitate, hand still on the knob. He wasn't a very good son. He was never around when it mattered the most, always putting his mother through worry. And he made her feed and clean up after the cats. They were really _his_ cats, but he was never around to do much for them.

_Just like Dad._

Crono gave an angry shake of his head. No, he wasn't that bad.

He eased the front door open cautiously and poked his head inside the house. The front room and dining area were filled with cats, most of them basking in the bright orange puddles of sunlight being cast by the setting sun. His mother wasn't anywhere to be seen.

So far, so good.

Suddenly, a purple fuzzball of doom fell on top of his head, hissing and spitting and digging it's sharp claws into Crono's hair and scalp. He gave a shout and stumbled around the room, trying to dislodge the offending feline from his head. In doing so, his foot caught on the leg of the kitchen table and he went sprawling across the floor. A few plates slipped from the table edge and smashed to pieces beside him.

"_What_ is going on down there?"

Crono whimpered a bit, both from discomfort from the fall and at his mother's tone of voice.

Having accomplished it's task of getting Crono into trouble, the purple cat spring-boarded off the young man's forehead and scurried to the foot of the stairs. He purred like crazy and twined around the woman's ankles as she came down to see what the commotion was about.

Crono carefully got to his feet and brushed some porcelain chips from his pants. He tried to smile, but failed under his mother's glare. "Uh, hi Mom."

The woman's mouth worked for a few seconds without sound. At last, she pursed her lips with an angry sigh and knelt down to collect shards of broken flatware. Crono got down beside her and started to help.

"At least these weren't the good dishes," his mother remarked, holding up a piece to the fading light and examining it. She glanced at her son. "You're bleeding." When he looked at her blankly, she pointed at a couple of thin scratches by his hairline.

Crono's hand moved to where she pointed and came back with a couple dots of blood on his fingertips. "Yeah, _he_ got me."

He was starting to regret having agreed to keep the cat after Magus had won it at the Millennial Fair last year. The warlock had insisted that he didn't have time to take care of it. As if Crono had any more time to spare for his already neglected pets.

The purple cat licked his left front paw innocently, no doubt cleaning away any traces of blood that might lead to his incrimination in the attack. Crono had a feeling that this was the descendant of Alfador, the royal pet of the Prince of Zeal Kingdom. It wasn't very likely, but sometimes there was no other way to explain the cat's joy at inflicting pain on others.

"You should clean those before they get infected," Crono's mother said softly. Her apron was full of broken porcelain. She carried her bundle over to the garbage can they kept under one of the cupboards and let the pieces fall into the trash. Brushing dust from her hands and skirt, she motioned for her son to take a seat at the table. "Let me see your face."

Crono hurried to do as he was told, also throwing away his handful of garbage. He winced as his mother's cool fingers poked at the scratches before she handed him a clean towel.

"Use that to clean up."

As she started to turn away, the young man caught her arm. "Mom, I'm sorry."

The woman looked back at him, tears making her eyes shine. "You run off so much, I guess I should be used to it by now."

Crono hung his head. He felt his mother's arms curve around him, pulling him close. He rested his chin on her shoulder and hugged her back. "I'm really sorry," he repeated.

"I know I shouldn't, but I get so worried when you just disappear for days at a time. I know that you have things to do, but couldn't you at least let me know where you're going? Then I wouldn't wonder if-" She stopped herself and hugged her boy tighter.

_I wouldn't wonder if this will be the time you don't come back._

The unspoken words hung in the air between them.

"I'm not like Dad," Crono said gruffly. He pulled back and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Besides, even if you did know where I go, it wouldn't stop you from worrying. It'd just give you a whole new set of things to worry about."

The woman gave a small laugh and dried her eyes on the edge of her apron. "I guess you're right. But no matter how old you get, you'll always be my little boy. It's a mother's right to be able to fuss over her child." She took the towel from Crono's hand and went to the sink to wet it. "So, where did you go?"

Crono coughed and shuffled his feet. "Well..." He took a deep breath. "I asked Marle to marry me."

"Honey, that's wonderful!" The woman wrung out the cloth and turned back to her son with an arched eyebrow. "Is that why you destroyed my prized plants?"

"Er..."

"Well, I'm very happy for the two of you. Why didn't you say something sooner? I can't wait to tell Lara and Taban the good news!"

Crono gave a nervous laugh at his mother's enthusiasm. "I think they already know, Mom. Lucca went with me."

"Oh, of course she would. What was I thinking? Anyway, Crono, I was starting to despair of ever having any grandchildren. I'm so glad that you're finally doing the responsible thing and settling down. You do realize that this means you'll have to give up the adventuring life in order to run the kingdom, don't you? You're going to be the king, and you can't just drop your duties to go out and have fun whenever you feel like it."

Crono hissed at the sudden sting when his mother started to wash the cuts. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Yeah, that's what King Guardia and the Chancellor told me. They want Marle and me to be a good little couple and stay put for a change."

Crono's mother laughed and dabbed at the cuts, cleaning out any dirt. "I can't blame them, can you? Marle isn't known to follow proper behavior for a princess."

"Mom..."

"Oh, I'm not picking on her, dear," his mother soothed. "But you have to admit, she was a bit of a tom boy. The whole kingdom heard about how she terrorized her father and his court. Are you sure she's ready to commit to such a big thing like marriage?"

Crono's face fell. "I'm starting to wonder about that, myself. She said she needed time to think about it, but she agreed to be engaged."

"And what did you say?"

"What _could_ I say? If she wants time, I can't force her into anything."

Crono's mother finished cleaning him up and looked him in the eyes. "Well, no. You can't force her to do something she isn't ready for. But there's something I think you need to consider, dear."

"What's that?"

"She might never be ready," the woman said seriously. "Some people would much rather have a relationship that is free of any permanent ties."

The red-headed young man scowled. "You mean, like Dad."

"All I'm saying, dear, is that waiting for her to make up her mind is all well and good, just don't wait on her forever."

"So, what do you think I should do, Mom?" Crono asked at last.

The woman shrugged. "Support her, of course. Encourage her to examine her feelings. Maybe she's just got cold feet. If you show her that you'll give her the time or the space she needs, Marle will probably come around on her own."

"Let's pretend she said she wouldn't get married unless Lucca did, first. What should I do then?"

Crono's mom laughed. "Honey, that's silly-talk!"

"But just pretend, okay?"

"Well, I suppose that I would mean that Marle is basing her resistance off of something bigger than what she's telling you. Maybe she's using Lucca as a diversion to distract you from the real problem, one she doesn't want to discuss with you. But like I said, that scenario is pretty unlikely."

Crono thought about his mother's words while she washed the little bloodstains out of the cloth. Maybe she was right. It would explain why Marle seemed so adamant about not making a firm decision.

_Oh, Crono,_ Marle had said. _There are so many things you don't know, and I don't think I can tell you._

Maybe she _had_ been hinting at a deeper problem than just wanting Lucca to get married first. Crono knew he wasn't the sharpest sword in the box when it came to dealing with women, but he could catch a hint every once and a while. It was starting to make sense to him that what Marle wanted was an example to make herself feel better. If her best friend, Lucca, got married and was living happily ever after, perhaps the idea of her own impending marriage would be more appealing to her. Suddenly, marrying Lucca off was becoming an urgent task.

Of course, that would entail actually telling Lucca about the plan, which could completely blow up in his face.

Speaking of which...

"Mom, I came home to get some stuff to take back to the castle," Crono said, heading for the stairs. "King Guardia has invited me for dinner at the castle tonight. I think he's going to announce my engagement to Marle in front of his court. Lucca said that I'd better get changed, or else she'd strip me herself and scrounge something out of the King's closet for me to wear. I think she was serious about it, too."

Crono's mother put a finger to her chin in thought. "Why don't you wear that lovely blue and white outfit I bought you?"

Crono looked embarrassed. "That's too fancy, don't you think?"

"I don't think so, no. You'll probably wear something very similar to it when you get married and after you're king. Better get used to it now, dear. You can't dress like an adventuring swordsman all the time, you know."

"But Mom," Crono whined. "That's just what I am!"

"I know, dear. And you'll make a great impression in your dirty training gi."

Crono picked at the front of his attire and saw, for the first time, the mud smears and grass stains he'd acquired from visiting Frog's home yesterday. "I don't know why people keep insisting that clothes make the man. Marle's marrying me, not my wardrobe." Still, no further objections were raised as he went up to his room.

Pushing open the door, cats streamed in around his feet and lined up by their communal food dish, waiting to be fed. Crono made a mental note to feed them as soon as he finished getting dressed, then he promptly forgot about the matter all together.

He fished around in his dresser for a while, looking for clean socks and underwear. Then he dug out the formal attire his mother had bought him a few years ago. It was still wrapped in rice paper, situated in a wooden box, complete with the price tag loosely sewn to the left sleeve. He wasn't even sure it would still fit; he'd gained weight in muscle from working out so much.

Sighing, he bit through the thin string holding the tag to the garment and let it flutter to the floor. A couple of the cats decided it was their new toy, and began to swat it back and forth.

He pulled off his dirty clothes and tossed them into a corner where he was sure his mother would find them later and wash them. He held up the fancy outfit and swallowed.

"Well, here goes."

A few minutes later, Crono came down the stairs, still fussing with his cape clasp.

"Oh, darling, you look fantastic!" his mother gushed, wringing her hands in joy.

"I feel ridiculous."

"Don't be silly." She pushed her son's hands away from the pin. "You're getting it all crooked. Honestly, you'd think you could dress yourself at this age. I hope Marle will be able to take care of you when I'm not around to do this."

"Mom!"

"Don't act so scandalized, dear. It's a wife's job to fuss over her husband."

"Like a second mother, huh?" Crono gave her a pained smile as she licked her palm and tried to smooth down his hair.

"Exactly." She sighed and examined her son again. "Well, I can't do anything with your hair. Pull your shoulders back and stand up straight; future kings shouldn't slouch." She pulled a loose string from Crono's shoulder and dusted his sleeves. "There! Now you won't embarrass your family tonight." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Have fun, and bring me home a little something from the banquet."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come along?"

His mother laughed. "Me? At a royal banquet? No, no, that wouldn't work at all."

"Well, okay then. But you know you're welcome to attend."

"I know, dear. I just feel out of place in the palace. I always want to start cleaning things. But you go ahead and have fun. I want to wash your clothes and feed the cats. Then I'll probably head over to Taban and Lara's for a while."

"Okay. Then I'll get going." Crono hugged his mother goodbye and exited the house.

"Don't forget to use your napkin!" she called after him from the doorway.

"Mom!"

--

"Okay, that's enough."

"Just calm down. I'm almost through."

Lucca stamped her foot and pushed at her mother's hands. "Would you stop fussing already? It's fine."

Lara sighed and finished smoothing down Lucca's hair. She kept it so short that there weren't many things Lara could do to style it. In the end, she had to be satisfied with a few tasteful flowers fashioned from yellow colored glass.

Lucca wobbled in her high-heeled shoes as she stood up from the vanity. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and frowned.

"This really isn't my style," she said.

Her mother had insisted on taking her shopping when she had heard that King Guardia was going to be holding a royal banquet to honor Marle's and Crono's engagement. Lucca hated shopping for clothes, and it felt like she had tried on dozens of ball gowns before her mother decided on one that she liked. It was a frothy purple number with wide, hoop skirts and a décolletage that made her blush.

Embarrassed, Lucca tried to pull up the front to cover her chest more.

Lara saw her fidgeting. "What's wrong?"

"Does it have to show off so much skin? I feel half naked in this thing."

Lara patted Lucca's shoulder and winked at her daughter's reflection in the mirror. "Darling, sooner or later you'll have to leave the boyish clothes behind and start dressing more like a girl. You have nice assets, so why not show them off?"

Lucca gave a noncommittal grunt. "I suppose…"

"And these will have to go, too." Before Lucca knew what was happening, her mother's hand swooped toward her face and snatched her glasses right off her nose. "I'm putting these in my boudoir where they'll be safe until you come home."

"Hey!" Lucca made a desperate grab for her mother, but ended up grabbing her father's coat rack. She turned her head this way and that, but all she could see were the colored blur of objects. "Mom, this isn't funny! Give those back!"

"Now, Lucca. We've discussed this before. You have lovely eyes, but no one can see them because you're always wearing these dreadful glasses. How do you expect a boy to look adoringly at you when all he can see are two pop bottles staring back at him?"

"I don't care about boys! I just want to go to the party, pig out, and do some dancing!" Lucca lunged for her mother again and ended up hugging one of the poles of her parent's four-posted bed.

"You'll do no such thing," Lara replied primly. "You'll behave like a perfect lady, and all the men will fall in love with you."

"How can they when I can't even tell the difference between a coat-rack and a person?"

Lucca sat down on the bed and put her face into her hands. Why was her mother always so difficult?

"Are you decent?" her father's voice called from downstairs.

"Yes, dear. She's ready," Lara called back.

"Well, come on out and let me have a look at you, Lucca!"

The inventor dragged herself to her feet with a pained groan. The shoes she was wearing really pinched her toes.

With her mother's help, she was steered out the door and onto the second floor landing. As they walked down the stairs, she clung to the railing with a near death-grip. She was sure that any moment, she would miss a step and fall head-first to a broken neck.

Lara released her daughter's arm when they reached the ground floor. "Here we are. Isn't she a vision?"

A blocky blur moved its way closer to Lucca. "There's my girl." Taban gave his daughter an awkward hug. "You clean up really nice."

Lucca snorted. "Thanks. Now could you make Mom give me back my glasses?"

Taban turned to his wife. "C'mon, Lara. Cut the girl some slack. You know she's blinder than a bat without them."

The woman shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"But Lara-"

His wife crossed her arms and glowered. "Oh, what do you know about anything? All you do is play around with your inventions while the world drifts by without you. If it were left up to you, you'd let Lucca turn into an old maid while helping you do it. Instead of tinkering with your toys, you should be helping me find Lucca a husband."

Lucca made a noise of frustration. "Mom, I keep telling you! I'll find a guy when I'm good and ready. You don't have to push me into this."

"And when will that be? When you're all alone and all your friends are leading happy lives with their children and grandchildren?" Lara began to tear up. "Your father and I won't be around forever. I just…" A hiccupping sob interrupted her words. "I just w-want you to find a m-man to take care of you, and to s-see my grandchildren before I die!"

Lucca watched her mother crying for a little bit, and then sighed. "Oh, Mom. Stop bawling." She put her arms around the shaking woman and patted her back. "C'mon. I'm not even twenty yet. I still have lots of time, and you're not going anywhere."

"I just w-worry about you," Lara sniffled, and pulled back to wipe her eyes on her apron. "You're our only daughter, and I don't want to see you wasting your life away like your father did."

Taban coughed and shuffled his feet. "Yeah, and who's inventions put bread on our table?" he grumbled under his breath. In a lighter tone, he said, "Lucca, you know we love you. I don't care if you get married right away or not. You've got a good head on your shoulders, girl, and I expect you to use it. If you don't think you're ready to start dating yet, that's fine by me."

Lucca brightened. "So…I can have my glasses back?"

"Er…" Looking at his thundercloud of a wife, Taban felt a sweat drop trickle down his forehead. "Why don't you try to humor your mother, just for tonight?"

Lucca looked between the blur that was her mother to the blur that was her father. At last, she gave a sullen nod. "Oh, all right. Just this one time couldn't hurt, I guess."

"Good." Lara took one final look at her daughter's attire, making sure everything was the way it should be. "You really do look fantastic, Lucca. I'm so proud of you."

"Let's commemorate this with a picture," her father suggested. "It's not every day that we can see you dressed up."

"Dad, I'd rather not-"

"Oh, lighten up. Some day, you'll cherish pictures like these as fond, old memories."

Lucca shifted from one foot to the other while her father went to fetch the invention he'd made called a "camera." No matter which way she stood, her shoes made her feet ache. If it hurt this much just to stand up for long periods of time, dancing in these shoes would be out of the question.

Taban returned and set up the tripod. He set the camera on a timer, then rushed to get into the picture. Lara stepped up beside him, and both put their hands on Lucca's shoulders.

"Remember to smile," Taban reminded her gently.

Days later, when the film had been developed, people would comment that Lucca's lopsided grin looked more panicked than pleased.


	9. The Ball

**Much Ado About Lucca**

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 9: The Ball**

The Truce Market was just getting ready to close for the night when Crono arrived. Fritz paused in the act of hanging up the "closed" sign to wave at the approaching swordsman.

"Hey, there."

"Hey."

Fritz held up the sign he was holding. "We're just about done for the day, though I could hold off a few more minutes if you make it quick."

Crono laughed and shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'm not here to shop. I need to ask you a question."

The store-keeper's son shrugged. "Sure thing. I just hope you don't mind talking while I clean up." He hung the sign in the front door and held it open. "Go on inside. I'll be right in."

"Okay."

Crono stepped out of the bright orange glare of the sunset into the relative darkness of the shop. He took a seat on a wooden bench and looked around.

Barrels filled with beans, rice, and other assorted dried goods lined one side of the shop. On the other, household tools dangled from racks, and Crono was reminded that he needed to get his mother a new rake. Medicine bottles of various sizes were locked in a glass cabinet behind the counter, along with a wine rack. A small room could be seen off to the side, a curtain hanging half-open over the doorway, with bolts of cloth littered on the floor.

Fritz returned a few moments later. He picked up a broom and began to sweep. "So, what can I do for you, Crono?"

"I was just wondering, will you be using your horse and cart tonight?"

Fritz looked up at his guest for a moment. "No, I don't think so. I was pretty much going to clean up the store and fix myself some dinner. My family is visiting my aunt and uncle in Porre, so I'm the only one here. I don't really have anyplace to go this evening. Why do you ask?"

"Do you mind if I borrow it?" Crono gestured at his formal attire. "I have to go to a feast at the castle, and I'm supposed to escort Lucca, but she told me that she doesn't want to walk because of her dress. So, I thought maybe I could take her this way instead."

Fritz looked around for a dustpan. "I don't see it being any sort of problem. I mean, you did save my life that one time. I really couldn't refuse you, even if I wanted to."

Crono shifted uncomfortably. "I just did what was right. It's not like I was trying to call in a debt, or anything. You're the only one around here who has transportation, so I just came to you without really thinking about how it might make you feel." Getting to his feet, Crono began heading for the door. "I'm sorry. I'll get out of your way, now."

Fritz jumped in front of him to bar his path. "Wait, no! That's not what I meant. I'm _glad_ to be able to help you. Maybe if you were more demanding, then I'd be mad. As it stands, this is the first time you've ever asked to borrow anything from me. I don't mind loaning you my horse and cart." When Crono gave him a dubious look, he made an "X" pattern over his heart and held up his right hand. "I cross my heart that I'm being honest."

"Well…if it's not going to be an inconvenience…"

"None at all," Fritz declared firmly. He located the dustpan and swept the collected dirt into it before emptying it into the waste basket beside the counter. Then he set aside the broom. "C'mon. Let's go outside and I'll get it all hitched up for you." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the back exit.

"Thank you."

Fritz led him into the room with the cloth on the floor. "Watch your step. I just got a shipment of cloth from Medina, and haven't had time to put it away yet. Try not to get shoe-prints on anything. Some of this stuff can't be easily washed if dirt gets on it."

"I'll be careful," Crono promised, though avoiding stepping on anything was harder than it looked. He followed behind Fritz, trying to locate the clear patches of floor. It was like trying to hop from rock to rock to avoid falling into a pond made from bolts of cotton, brocade, and damask.

When they made it to the other side, Crono breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was to ruin some expensive material and have to pay for it.

They wound their way through the kitchen to the back door, and exited into the back yard. A sturdy-looking dappled mare was nibbling at grass in a medium-sized enclosure. Behind her was a shelter filled with straw, which was obviously where she slept at night, and another one for the cart.

The horse whickered when it saw Fritz and came to the fence for some petting.

"This is Sonya," the shop-keeper's son said by way of introduction. "She's very gentle and likes to please, so you won't have any trouble guiding her with the reins."

"Hello, Sonya." Crono rubbed a hand along her soft nose and she nuzzled his palm. "Good girl."

It didn't take Fritz long to hitch Sonya up to the cart. As Crono pulled himself up onto the driver's bench and took the reins from the other young man, he said, "Thanks again for letting me borrow this. I know Lucca will appreciate it as well."

Fritz gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, well, whatever makes Lucca happy is fine by me."

Crono cocked his head. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just…well, she was in here today with her mother, and they were shopping for a dress for the ball. I've never seen two women as fussy as they were. Now I know where Lucca gets her obstinate nature from. I don't know how Mr. Ashtear can put up with it, though it would explain a lot about why he rarely comes out of his workshop."

Crono laughed. "One thing I can say about Lucca, is that she's a girl who knows what she wants." _Unlike some girls I know,_ he added to himself, and felt a little down as Marle's face flashed through his mind. "Anyway, I'll probably be spending the night in one of the guest rooms, so I'll bring Sonya back tomorrow."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy being pampered in the royal stables," Fritz replied with a laugh of his own. "Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"You can count on that." With one more chuckle, Crono gave a soft snap to the reins. "Let's go, girl," he said, and the cart lurched into motion, leaving Fritz behind to wave farewell.

--

Lucca started in surprise when she looked out the front window and saw Crono driving a cart of some sort up to her door. Even without her glasses, she could tell that it wasn't exactly fancy. The inventor stepped outside as he eased the horse to a halt.

"What's up with the nag and turnip wagon?" she asked with a giggle.

Crono made a face. "Hey, now. You said you didn't want to walk, so I got us a cart from Fritz. He was very generous to have loaned it to us for the night."

Lucca made a thoughtful noise. "More likely, he had a guilty conscience. I caught him trying to peek in on me when I was trying on dresses."

"He wouldn't do that!" Crono protested in scandalized tones. "I'm sure it was just your imagination."

"Yeah, whatever. Like I care if some pervert wants to see me trying to squeeze into some old lady dress that Mom picked out." Lucca gestured at her attire. "She finally settled on this one, because I told her I refused to wear the others she selected." The inventor tugged at the material over her chest. "I just wish it didn't show off so much. I feel like a dork."

Crono smiled. "I think you look great, Lucca." Then he blinked. "What happened to your glasses?"

"It was Mom's idea," she replied defensively. "I told her I can barely see, but she insisted that I leave them home. You'd better not start picking on me if I trip over something or run into someone, because I'm gonna hit you till you're cross-eyed if you do."

Crono held up his hands. "I won't! Sheesh! I was just asking a question. There's no need to bite my head off about it."

Lucca frowned at her own behavior. "Sorry. I'm just feeling kind of stupid right now, but I shouldn't take it out on you."

Crono hopped down from the driver's bench and walked around to the other side. He offered her his hand. "Need some help up?"

Lucca eyed the cart with misgivings. While it was really sweet that Crono had thought about her poor feet- and at the rate these shoes were going, she needed all the help she could get- the cart wasn't exactly her idea of an elegant transport. _I might be almost blind,_ she thought to herself, _but I'm not __**that **__blind not to notice what sort of rig he's trying to put me on. _

For one thing, it was made of weathered gray wood that would undoubtedly put splinters in the delicate fabric of her gown, leaving irreparable snags that would send her parents' money for it down the drain. Second, the bench probably wasn't all that clean; this _was_ the type of cart used to haul produce and grain, after all. She hadn't expected Crono to arrive with a splendid coach fit for a princess like Marle, but maybe something with a little more pizzazz.

Still, she couldn't very well tell Crono to just take it back to Fritz.

"Just give me a second," Lucca said, and hurried back into the house. "Mom!" she called.

"In the kitchen," came the reply. She found Lara setting out plates for dinner. "What's the matter? I thought you had left already."

"I would have, except that Crono expects me to ride on some beat-up old wheelbarrow of a cart. I don't want to get to the ball looking like a sack of potatoes. Do you have anything I could put over the seat?"

Her mother thought about this while she laid out some warm rolls and freshly churned butter. "I might have an old bedspread you could use. Come with me."

She led her daughter to a small closet under the stairs. Inside were tidy stacks of linen. After sorting through them, Lara pulled out a blue and green tartan bedspread which she handed over to Lucca.

"That should do it."

"Thanks, Mom."

The woman smiled fondly at her offspring. "I'm just happy to see that you're taking an interest in your appearance for a change."

Lucca rolled her eyes and turned away. "I'm not a ragamuffin, you know," she called over her shoulder. "I don't dress like I just came in from the fields."

"Have fun," her mother called back sweetly.

Crono raised his eyebrows when Lucca reappeared with the bedspread and began draping it over the bench. "What's that for?"

"Maybe you don't mind dust on your behind, but I do," she said. Once she was finished, she hiked up her skirts and started trying to climb up onto the cart.

"Are you sure you don't need some help?" Crono offered, blushing. Lucca's dress was rather high up on her legs. Any higher and he might see…her pants.

The inventor smoothed out her skirts as she settled down on the hard bench. She caught Crono staring at her. "What?"

"You're wearing rolled-up pants under that," he said, and his tone was almost disbelieving.

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing. I just thought…" He trailed off with a blush. "Well, don't girls wear other things under there?"

Lucca snorted. "I guess, if you don't mind the under draft. Besides, I feel much more confident with them on."

Crono rubbed the back of his head, still somewhat confused. "Okay. If you say so." He circled back around the cart and pulled himself up beside his friend. Snapping the reins again, Sonya took off at a moderate trot.

At first, neither of them said anything else. Crono concentrated on steering Sonya where he wanted her to go, and Lucca tried to make heads or tails of the colored blurs that they were passing by. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"So, what was the big secret that you were going to tell me earlier?" she asked.

Crono shifted in his seat. "What secret?"

"Duh! Did you forget? Remember when we were all sitting around Nadia's Bell, and you said you'd tell me your secret later? The secret that you didn't want to say in front of Marle?" She jabbed his arm with a forefinger and he winced. Lucca was stronger than she looked. "It's later, so tell me."

Crono sighed. He really didn't know how to explain this very well.

"Lucca, we've been friends for a long time right?"

"Right."

"And you know that I'd never put you in harm's way."

Crono fell silent. This was turning out to be much harder than anticipated. But Lucca solved the problem for him. She put a gentle hand over one of his.

"It's okay, Crono. I think I already know what you're going to say," she said softly.

Shock ran through his system and he stared at her. "You do?"

She nodded. "It doesn't take a genius to understand what's going on. I was able to figure it out on my own."

Crono closed his eyes briefly. "I should have known you'd guess what I've been up to." He gave her a pained look. "But please, don't tell Marle about what you know? If she found out-"

"Don't worry," Lucca soothed. "I won't tell her. You know me better than anyone. I can keep a secret." She glanced away. "Though, I just wish that you had come to me about this first, instead of Magus and Frog."

The swordsman took hold of Lucca's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I didn't want to involve you in this," he said fiercely. "Believe me. If there were any other way, I'd take it."

"I understand. But you should also know that whatever the obstacle before us, I'll face it down by your side. That's what best friends are for, right?"

And she gave him the brightest, most courageous smile he had ever seen, and his heart swelled with love for his friend. How brave, how selfless to be willing to take part in such an underhanded ruse. Crono felt tears come to his eyes.

"You're the best!" he declared, and threw his arms around Lucca in a tight hug.

"The reins!" Lucca managed to grab them as they flew out of Crono's hand. She sighed in relief and gave a lopsided smile as her friend released his hold on her. "You're a big sissy," she laughed at him as he wiped his eyes on the back of his arm.

"I'm just so moved," he said, taking back the reins. "I'll never forget this. The future lies in your hands."

"_Our_ hands," she corrected him, and punched him lightly on the arm. "We're in this together, through thick and thin."

"Agreed!"

_I know that you want to protect the ones you care about_, she thought, looking at Crono's blurry profile next to her. _But it's okay for me to want to protect you, too, isn't it?_

She could still remember the pain that had filled her when she saw Crono die, his body disintegrating into a fine powder that disappeared altogether. How still her heart had become, her eyes locked to the spot where he had been standing before Lavos had turned him to ash. And then time had started again, and he was gone. She couldn't, no, _wouldn't_ believe it! It had taken a miracle to bring him back to her.

She knew then what she hadn't been able to admit to herself before. She loved Crono, more than her own life. It didn't matter if he loved her back. Just knowing that he was alive made her happier than she ever thought possible, and if Marle was the one he wanted, she promised that she wouldn't stand in their way.

_But that doesn't mean I can't still love him in my own way,_ she thought, and allowed herself a private smile. _To be his friend is still the greatest gift I've ever received. Life wouldn't be worth living without him in it._

Crono glanced at her. "What's up?" he asked, smiling his own smile at her expression.

"None of your business," she replied smugly.

"Okay…"

She laughed at his confused expression.

_You always give more of yourself than you should, Crono. No matter what danger awaits us, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I'll be strong enough for the both of us. I won't lose you again!_

--

Guardia Castle was lit up like a porcelain nightlight. A golden aura seemed to engulf it, and the strains of music and laughter could already be heard as the pair stopped the cart in front of the main gates. A servant rushed forward to take the reins while another brought a short stepladder to help Lucca down.

"Take good care of her," Crono said, patting Sonya on the rump. "I'll see you tomorrow, girl."

Lucca smiled to herself. Crono was such a nice guy, even to animals. She felt lucky that she could count on him as a friend.

"Did you see that?" she heard a woman mutter none too quietly.

"Yes," a man replied. "How vulgar, but what do you expect from such country bumpkins?

"Indeed. I don't see how his Majesty can stomach such peasants in his presence. It must be because his daughter has a fancy for that red-headed one."

Lucca glared around her, spying a group of gaily colored blobs being helped out of their gilded carriage. When she turned their way, they snickered quietly and walked past her.

Though she could barely see much about them, she could hear the rustle of expensive silk and smell the exotic perfume the woman wore.

"What's wrong?" Crono asked, seeing her scowling.

"Just a group of nobles trying to talk down about us," she replied, and hooked her arm around his. "I hope that when you're king, you'll put a stop to all of that nonsense."

As Crono began leading Lucca inside the castle, he asked, "Why would they be saying bad things? I don't think I know anyone here besides our friends. Do you?"

"Nobles don't need a reason to be rude," she sniffed in response. "They think they're so high and mighty because they have a little bit of power and money. But you'll show them that one's station in life doesn't matter when it comes to true love."

Marle greeted them as they entered. She gave a high-pitched squeal of delight and hugged both of her friends. "You're finally here! I was getting so bored! Daddy's been making me dance with all of these stuffy nobles, and I just can't stand it anymore."

"I was just telling Crono that things would be different when you two are running things," Lucca said.

"You can count on that," Marle agreed. Then she squealed again. "You look gorgeous, Lucca! Spin around so I can see how you look." Lucca did as she was told, a long-suffering smile on her face while the princess gushed over her. "You're stunning!"

"Yeah, right. I feel like one of the dolls in your collection."

Marle picked at her own dress. "I know what you mean. I don't know where the Chancellor found this old thing. I think it's modeled after one of Leene's dresses, or something." She held open her arms for the others to examine her.

Lucca had to lean very close and squint to try and bring Marle into focus. She was wearing a near replica of Leene's favorite powder blue ball gown. The lustrous glow of pearls dripped from the short, puffed sleeves, along the bodice, and among the folds of her skirts. Delicate silver embroidery depicted rose vines along the hem of her long white gloves. Nestled on top of her ornately styled hair was a platinum tiara studded with sapphires and diamonds. In short, she looked every inch a fairytale princess.

Compared to Marle, Lucca felt very awkward and self-conscious about her own gown. It had seemed elegant, maybe even extravagant, at first. But standing next to her royal friend, her purple dress seemed sorely out of place. Looking around the room, she could tell by the ornate blurs that most everyone else was dressed in similar finery.

"I hate having to dress up," Marle continued, making a face. "I don't see why Daddy had to make such a big deal about this. What _I_ wanted to do, was just invite the two of you and your families to a quiet dinner, and maybe play some party games. But Daddy so loves to annoy me when he gets the chance." She sighed, then changed the topic. "So, how're you two this evening?"

Crono patted his stomach. "Hungry. Are we going to get to eat soon? I'm starved!"

"Dancing first, then dinner." When Crono started to protest she held up a hand. "The Chancellor made the schedule for tonight. He's of the opinion that dancing on a full stomach will make people sick, and I don't want to find out if that's true, do you?"

"I guess not…"

"Cheer up," Lucca told him. "There's still the refreshment table. You know they always have punch and a few snacks."

Crono brightened. "That's true."

"Ah, Princess. There you are."

The trio turned to see the Chancellor ducking between guests, heading in their direction.

"Oh no!" Marle grabbed onto both Crono and Lucca. "Hurry! We have to get away from him. He's going to want me and Crono to walk around and talk to more of those boring nobles, and we'll have to smile and pretend that we like it."

The princess tried to steer them in the opposite direction, but as luck would have it, at that exact moment a large party of guests arrived and blocked their escape route.

"Princess!"

"Drat!" Marle hissed under her breath. Then she put on a fake smile and turned around to face the short old man. "Hello, Chancellor. How are you?"

He glared at her, then her friends, then back at her. "Princess, didn't you hear me calling for you?"

"No, I'm afraid I didn't. Must be the noise."

"Or maybe you were trying to run away," he suggested shrewdly.

Marle feigned indignation. "That's a mean thing to say. I wouldn't do something like that to an old person."

"Er…yes." The Chancellor hadn't liked being called an "old person," but he held his peace. No matter how ill-mannered the brat was, he wasn't about to jeopardize his career by scolding her for it at a public function. Instead, he put on his best diplomatic expression. "Might I remind your Highness that you have a duty as hostess to mingle with your guests? And since your future husband has finally deigned to grace us with his presence," and here he shot a pointed look at Crono, "you should make haste and be about your task."

"I don't want to," Marle said flatly. "It's boring."

"Boring?!" The old man looked as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"Yes. All these people want to do is make fun of my friends and make comments about how crazy I must be for liking someone who isn't part of the nobility. And I'm expected to be polite and gracious and act like none of it bothers me, which it does. That's the whole reason why I hate being here in the first place!" She flung her arms out as if to encompass the entire castle. "I just want to be myself, and no one will let me."

The Chancellor worked his mouth for a moment like a fish out of water, then finally blurted out, "Princess, we all have roles that we are expected to play in life. Like it or not, you're his Majesty's daughter. You have responsibilities. Don't you see that?"

Marle crossed her arms in a pout. "Fine, whatever. I'll do what you want if it will make you leave me alone. The sooner I talk to these fancy-pants jerks, the sooner I can do what I really want, which is hang out with my friends. Come on, Crono. Let's get this over with." Making sure to stomp her feet every step of the way, she flounced past the Chancellor and left Crono to try to chase after her.

"Marle, wait up!"

"Crono!"

Lucca's voice stopped him. "What's wrong?"

"Don't just leave me here in the middle of the room," she snapped. "I can't see a thing, and I'm sure to get run over by a mob of people. Just steer me to a quiet chair and I'll be okay." She winced at the loss of circulation in her toes. "I need to get off my feet before they swell up like balloons."

"Oh, right. Sorry about that. I keep forgetting that you don't have your glasses."

The swordsman led his friend into the throne room. People were spinning about in the center of the room, moving to the tempo of lively music being played by the court musicians. Tables had been erected along the edges of the room for refreshments, and chairs had been scattered about for out-of-breath dancers to take a breather.

Crono sat Lucca down in one such chair and snagged a glass from a server's tray. He handed it to her. "Here, have some punch. As soon as Marle is finished talking to her guests, I'll come right back. And if I see Frog or Magus, I'll send them to keep you company."

"Ugh. Anyone but Magus." Lucca stuck out her tongue, then took a sip from her glass. "Better catch up to Marle, though, or she'll turn her royal temper on you, too."

"You're right. But…are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

Though she could hardly see it, she could tell Crono's expression was tortured. She tried to give him a reassuring pat to the arm and missed by a foot. "I'll be fine."

"Sorry," he said again, and darted off into the crowd in search of his bride-to-be.

Left on her own, Lucca found her mind beginning to wander. Though she had told Crono that she had guessed his secret, she hadn't been entirely honest. She had no idea what sort of monster they were going to be facing, and the thought made her a little uncomfortable. Not that she wouldn't fight if it turned out to be another world-destroying evil like Lavos had been. But Lucca was nothing if not practical, and she liked to know all the details about a situation before charging in, Wondershot blazing.

As she sipped her drink, she asked herself, _Just what sort of creature are we going to be dealing with, here?_

Images of the Lavos' spawn flashed through her mind and she shuddered.

_We killed the ones we found on Death Peak. That means they're all dead now…right?_

When the answer came to her, she felt like smacking herself on the forehead.

_How could I have been so stupid? Of course there would be more of them just lurking around! If there was one Lavos, who's to say that there couldn't be another one out there, too?_ She glared at the polished marble floor as if she could penetrate the layers of dirt and rock to see the parasites beneath the planet's crust. _Well, we'll put a stop to that! No one is going to ruin __**our**__ world. Not on my watch!_

And with that decisive attitude in mind, she finished off her punch in a single, large swallow.

"Now," she said to herself out loud, "if only I could find something to do while Crono is with Marle."

Looking around didn't help much. She could only see what was directly in front of her, and only if she got very, very close to it. The room was full of people, and it was next to impossible to distinguish one face from another. Everything was a mishmash of moving colors and light.

Just as Lucca was starting to lose hope of evading boredom, she spied something short and green out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she squinted to try and make out the shape.

_Is that…Frog?_

It appeared to be so, and he was waving at her.

"At last!" she sighed in relief.

Standing up, the purple-haired girl kept close to the wall, using it for guidance as she made her way over to where the amphibian was sitting.

"Thank goodness. I thought I'd be stuck here all alone," she remarked, taking a seat on a cushioned bench.

She had to lean over the armrest to be able to talk to Frog directly, since his chair was about three feet from her in the corner by a window.

"I'm glad to have found you. I can't really see much of anything without my glasses, and Mom made me leave them at home tonight. Though, it's kind of hard to miss all that green, you know?"

Frog shifted in his seat, saying nothing.

"Oh, gee. That was kinda rude of me, wasn't it?" Lucca gave an uncomfortable giggle. "Sorry about that. I guess I'm just sort of nervous, you know? I don't like parties like this. They're just too formal. I'd much rather be hanging out with you, Crono, and Marle without having to deal with all these snooty nobles."

Frog nodded agreement, and Lucca gave a delighted sigh as a cool breeze wafted in from the window.

"I hadn't realized it was open," she said, toying with her empty glass. "It's kind of stuffy in here."

Lucca fell silent, just savoring the feeling of being with a friend. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she felt a lot less self-conscious by being with Frog than she did by herself. Maybe it was because he was a giant amphibian, and by comparison, she didn't look half as bad as he did. But that was a rude thought, so she kept it to herself with a guilty smile, and tried to think of something nice to say to continue their conversation.

--

The room was loud, hot, and busy. The press and jostle of the guests was almost more than Magus could stand. He kept itching to pull out his scythe and start cutting down some of these arrogant blue-bloods like stalks of wheat.

_Oh, but I forgot. They relieved me of my weapon as soon as I walked in._

The palace guard had refused to allow him to carry his scythe with him. They had trembled under his glower, but they remained adamant about their orders. Yes, he could have killed them without remorse, and without breaking a sweat, but he had relinquished his weapon without making a scene for the sake of convenience. He was here to look for Schala, and he couldn't do that if he became a wanted felon for breaking the laws of the palace.

He moved to tug at his gloves, then realized that they weren't there, either. Not only had he been forced to go unarmed into this fiasco, but the Chancellor had also made him change clothing, too.

"Best foot forward," the old man had said, and handed him the attire he was currently wearing.

The styles in this time period were much different than the ones he had known in Zeal Kingdom and the Guardia of 600 AD; a creamy white shirt with frills at the neck, a purple jacket with matching pants, shiny black shoes, and gold cufflinks. He still wore his hair loose, and the women sighed to see him pass.

Surely, he looked strange with his bone-white skin and pointed ears?

Ah, but therein lay his allure! For the noblewomen who had become so jaded, he was a pleasant diversion from the monotony that was their lives. Each assumed he was one of them, a noble, for his haughty demeanor and bored contempt for those around him could belong to no other.

_If only they knew the truth,_ Magus laughed to himself, bowing sarcastically to a fawning admirer across the way who couldn't stop batting her lashes at him over the top of her fan. He doubted that anyone would believe him if he mentioned that he was a prince, but it made him smirk to think what sort of a reaction he'd get if he tried it anyway.

But this wasn't the time to mix pleasure with business.

The magician weaved between the guests, ignoring attempts to draw him into conversation while keeping his eyes open. If Schala were here, he would find her.

After about twenty minutes of fruitless searching, he found himself near the refreshment table.

_I'm not going to let myself become discouraged by this,_ he told himself, pushing down the disappointment he was feeling. _This is only the first night, and a mere handful of people compared to those who weren't invited to the feast. If I don't find her tonight, I'll just resume my search in the morning._ And, he admitted, the chance of him finding Schala right away was next to nothing. He had to be realistic about this, and take a methodical approach to finding her, lest he miss a clue to her whereabouts.

Picking up a glass of some questionable pinkish-red liquid, he took a drink from the glass. It tasted like a mix of several fruits with a splash of some sort of sweet, bubbly wine. Not exactly overwhelming in its taste, but it was better than some of the crap that Slash churned out. He had yet to master the art of wine-making, but as for the art of making vinegar…

"You're awfully quiet, Frog. Did I make you mad when I called you green? I wasn't trying to be mean, or anything. It just sort of slipped out. I wasn't thinking."

Magus paused in the act of taking another drink to look for Lucca. Was she actually picking on that stupid amphibian? Finishing off his drink, he left his empty glass with one of the servants and followed the sound of her voice until he found her.

She was sitting on a loveseat near one of the corners of the room by an open window. Drawing closer, he could smell the scent of the royal gardens, and he felt a pang of home-sickness for Zeal Kingdom.

"You're not going to hold a grudge now, are you?" Lucca was saying, and Magus had to pause for a moment to wonder what in the world she was going on about.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, and Lucca jumped in her seat.

"Wha-?" She turned to face him, and Magus saw immediately what the problem was. She squinted at him and then rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's you. Don't sneak up on me like that! You almost made me drop my glass." She waved it at him meaningfully.

"It's empty," he informed her with a smirk. "Just in case you couldn't tell."

"I can see that!"

"Can you?"

"Oh, go away, you big jerk!" She smoothed her lavender skirts and turned her nose up at him in her best Marle impression. "We don't need you around to bother us, now do we?"

His smirk grew wider. "We?"

"Just because you don't like him doesn't mean I'll let you disrespect a friend of mine," Lucca snapped back. "Why don't you go bother the Chancellor, or something? He seems more your type."

Magus chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. "Perhaps you're right. You've already got a 'companion' to hang out with. I certainly wouldn't want to intrude on your alone time."

He turned to go, fully prepared to leave Lucca to the whispered giggles and stares that were being aimed her way. But there was something just so… He couldn't find the right way to describe it. At any other time, he wouldn't have given a thought to someone else's humiliation, but it just didn't seem right to do that to Lucca tonight, especially not if Schala might be watching.

So he turned back to her with an irritated sigh. "Get up," he ordered her. "We're going for a walk."

"Are you still here?" Lucca waved a hand as if to shoo him away. "Can't you see I'm busy? You're such a pest."

"I'm trying to save you from yourself," he told her frankly. "You'd thank me if you knew what's really going on." Thus, he took hold of one of her wrists and pulled her to her feet with a good yank of his arm.

The motion caused Lucca to drop her empty glass. Thankfully, the crystal landed on the loveseat and not the floor.

"Ouch! What's the big idea? You're being a jerk!"

"You said that already."

"I'll say it as many times as I have to!"

She tried to hit him with her free hand, but he blocked her punch with a palm and closed his fingers around her fist, trapping it as well.

"Calm down. You're making a scene."

"Let go of me!"

"It's a potted plant," he whispered harshly. "You're making a fool of yourself."

Lucca stopped her attempt to escape and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Magus loosened his grip on her and she snatched her hands back, rubbing her sore skin. "It's not Frog. It's some sort of fern in a brass bucket. Yes, it's short, green, and, as I'm sure you've discovered, a good conversationalist. But the fact remains that it isn't your beloved toady, and it's kind of embarrassing to watch you talk to it."

Lucca's eyes grew wide. "But…he was nodding to everything I was saying-"

"The window is open. One puff of a breeze and I'm sure your 'Frog' was dancing all over the place for you."

Lucca groaned and covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh…my…god."

"It's not so bad. I'm sure you'll laugh about this tomorrow with your silly friend, the princess," Magus said by way of being sympathetic.

"Do you think anybody saw me?"

Magus looked around at the assembled guests. A good many faces were turned in their direction, and all of them wore vicious, amused smiles. "Only about _everybody_."

"Oh my _god!_" the girl moaned again. "This is the worst night of my life!"

Magus inspected her in a sort of off-hand way. "Why did you leave your glasses off in the first place?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Did you drop them somewhere?"

"No! I just…" She trailed off, staring at the floor. "Look, blame my mother for all of this. It was her idea, because she said I should show off my 'fine eyes' or something."

Magus stepped forward and cupped her chin in the palm of his right hand, tilting her face up towards his.

"Hey!" Lucca tried to jerk her chin away, but he held her in a firm grip that couldn't be broken. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Hold still."

Magus drew really close to her face, close enough so that she could see him clearly without any of the blurriness that had been bothering her all evening.

"You know what?" the wizard asked, and his voice was an amused purr.

"W-what?' Lucca mentally kicked herself for stuttering, but this was the first time that she'd been so close to a man, let alone Magus. She'd never really felt comfortable around him, even when they'd been trying to save the world together. Now, he was within kissing distance, and the thought that he might try and take advantage of her made her stomach clench.

He stared deeply into her eyes, and she found herself looking back into his. They were red, the color of apples and carnations and unrefined Dreamstone. Unconsciously, she held her breath and waited for the inevitable.

"I think…" he began.

Lucca gulped. "Yes?"

"I think…your mother lied to you." He released her with a chuckle. "I've seen better eyes on potatoes."

"You're such a bastard!" Lucca growled, the heat in her cheeks only partially from her anger. She would have stomped on his foot, if she didn't think it would cause her to break an ankle if she lost her balance in her high heels. "That does it. I'm going to go look for Crono. Out of my way, you creep!"

The warlock sighed sadly. "Is this the way you treat all your dates?"

"Who said you were my date?"

"How about a dance, then?"

"Oh, better yet, how about not?" The inventor pushed past him. "Weirdo."

Except that she still couldn't see where she was going, and by the time she realized that she'd plunged headlong onto the dance floor, it was already too late to turn back. She felt Magus lingering by her side like an unwanted shadow.

He gave a mocking bow. "Well?"

"Okay. But just this one dance, got it?" She took hold of her skirts in her left hand and outstretched her right hand for Magus to take. "If you step on my toes, so help me, I'll nuke you with my fire magic."


	10. The Dance of Fools

((Author's Note: Gyah! This chapter took way too long to complete. But seriously, it was giving me the worst case of writer's block. Everything had to be so carefully worded, it was holding me up. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to get out.))

Much Ado About Lucca

By ZealPropht

**Chapter 10: The Dance of Fools**

Frog shifted from one foot to another, feeling more uncomfortable than normal. The Chancellor was circling him like a crow over carrion. His bushy eyebrows were drawn together in a scowl, but the knight couldn't be certain if the old man were angry or just thinking deeply.

Frog twisted his knobby green fingers together. "Um…My Lord Chancellor…"

The old man stopped his inspection for a moment and stroked his long beard. "Well, it will have to do, I suppose. I'm only human. I can't be expected to work miracles." Taking hold of Frog's shoulders, he turned the amphibian towards a full-length mirror that had been set up in his room. "Have a look at yourself."

This was, of course, the last thing Frog wanted to do. He kept his eyes averted. "Art thou certain that this attire is necessary?" When the Chancellor glared at him, he sighed. "Very well."

The sight that greeted him made him want to fall on his sword out of sheer embarrassment. The form that Magus had given him was awkward at best, and finding clothing that fit him was quite near impossible. After much searching through the castle storage rooms, the Chancellor had finally found one article of clothing that didn't stretch at odd angles over Frog's ungainly body: a clown costume left over from the Millennial Fair. The outfit was the same shade as the innards of a grapefruit, and white polka dots speckled the surface. Stiff white lace encircled his wrists and ankles and formed a frothy collar around Frog's large neck. The last insulting touch was the bright yellow shoes that curled up at the toes and hid his webbed feet from view. The entire outfit was baggy, and it covered any unsightly bulges that his unnatural body might otherwise display.

Frog shuddered at his reflection. "'Tis awful."

"'Tis _perfect_," the Chancellor corrected. "No one will be the wiser about you."

The knight looked at himself again and felt the urge to gag. "I pray thee, my lord, is there naught thou canst do with yon garments?" He waved at the pile of discarded clothing that he'd tried on, but hadn't been able to fit into well enough for the Chancellor's tastes. "I wouldst pay thee thy weight in gold to avoid being seen in this travesty."

The old man crossed his arms over his thin chest. "What do I look like, your personal tailor? You'll wear the damn thing and like it!" In calmer tones, he said, "This outfit isn't meant to make you look dashing. It's a disguise, remember? If anyone were to realize that you really are a frog, and not a human in a costume, it would create a panic amongst the guests. Maybe people are used to frogs gallivanting around the countryside where you come from, but in our time period, such a thing is completely unheard of. Do _you_ want to be responsible for ruining the King's banquet by making a scene?"

Frog shook his head. "Nay… But surely thy guests shall see through this subterfuge? T'would seem to me, I wouldst draw even _more_ attention unto myself with this garb."

"By pretending to be tonight's entertainment, no one will think twice about seeing a frog-headed clown wandering around the castle. But perhaps there is a way to make you even more anonymous." Turning around, the Chancellor fished about in the dusty trunk that used to house the costume. "If I remember right, there was a rather gaudy mask in here. I think it would be just the right thing to- Ha! Here we go!"

He pulled out a large paper mask. It was painted black and white with a string to tie it in place. It was probably the biggest mask Frog had ever seen. He almost doubted that a normal human could wear it without possessing a watermelon for a head.

The Chancellor held it out for Frog to take. "If we put some new holes in this, it should fit over your face just fine. Does that ease your doubts?"

"How dost thou expect me to woo the fair Lucca if I be dressed like the King's fool?" Frog slapped the mask out of the old man's hand in disgust and turned his back on the mirror. "On my honor as a knight, I canst not wear this carnival garb! T'would be an affront to my dignity." He started squirming about, trying to reach the laces of the costume so he could take it off.

The Chancellor narrowed his eyes. "Either you wear it, or you'll be staying here in your room all night." When he saw Frog's stricken face, he took pity on the amphibian. "You worry too much, Sir Knight. Love, they say, is blind. If Lucca truly likes you, she'll accept you no matter what you look like. Am I wrong?"

Frog paused in his escape. "Mayhap thou art a little correct. Wouldst not the heart see truer than the eyes?" Then he shook his head. "But look at me! Love wouldst have to be deaf as well as blind. I have never seen a louder garment."

Picking up the mask from the floor, the Chancellor dusted it off and handed it back to Frog. "Consider it a way to leave her with a lasting impression of you."

Frog accepted the mask this time, his mind full of misgivings. He held the flimsy paper and examined it. "I do not think that this plan of yours will work. I know nothing of entertaining nobles. Besides which, with this arm of mine, I canst not think of any way to perform short of aggravating my wound." Even the simple act of getting clothes on and off was painfull, and the doctors had said he shouldn't move his injured arm around too much.

"Hmm." The Chancellor stroked his beard again, staring down at the floor. He appeared to be having a debate with himself. Finally, he came to a conclusion of sorts and gave Frog a shrewed look. "There might be a way for you to perform without being in any pain."

Frog blinked. "Really, my lord?"

The old man nodded. He looked about the room as if afraid of being seen by someone, even though it was only the two of them present. From one of his voluminous sleeves he produced a stoppered bottle. Opening the top, he shook out two white pills, each about the size of a kernel of corn, into the palm of his free hand.

"Being an old man, I'm often troubled by my joints. Arthritis and all that. So, I sometimes have to take medicine for the discomfort." He gave Frog a hard look as if daring him to contradict that statement. When the knight just nodded, he went on. "These pills are very potent and will take away your pain for several hours at the least. If you'd like, I'll share these with you so you don't have to worry about being infirmed tonight."

Frog looked down at the offered pills resting in the Chancellor's palm. "I was drinking a tea that the local chirurgeon gave to me. It tasted foul, to be sure, but it didst keep the pain at bay for a time."

The Chancellor laughed. "Trust me, these are far stronger than any mere tea!" He took Frog's good hand and handed him the medicine. "Now, be warned: this won't cure you. Your arm might feel better, but you'll still be injured. So don't get carried away, understand?"

Frog nodded and set the pills onto one of the bedside tables. "Still, I am at a loss. I do not know of any tricks or feats that wouldst convince even the meanest street cur that I am a clown. What shall I do?"

"I'm sure you'll come up with something. Failing that, they'll think you're the most boring clown ever to grace these halls and ignore you." The old man shrugged. "Either way, the purpose for this disguise was achieved. In the end, that's all that really matters to me."

Using a pair of scissors, they poked new holes into the mask so that it would fit over Frog's bulbous eyes. Once they had made sure that mask wouldn't come off at an inopportune moment, the Chancellor nodded his head in satisfaction.

"That should do the trick. Now, I really must be going." He made his way to the door of Frog's temporary quarters. "I left the Princess and Crono to mingle with the guests. I'd better make sure they aren't ruffling too many feathers. They don't seem to understand that Guardia's aristocracy is rooted in tradition. No one wants to hear about their 'progressive' thinking."

Frog rallied to his friends' defense. "Mayhap it is time that people unstopped their ears and heard such words. They couldst stand to learn a lesson or two from Crono and Princess Nadia, lest the downtrodden rise up against thee."

The Chancellor gave a condescending laugh. "And what does a knight know of such things? We live by the letter of the law. All of us. The common folk have no reason to 'rise up', as you say. They know their place." He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "Things are much different now then they were back in 600 A.D., my friend."

As the door shut behind the Chancellor, Frog allowed himself a slightly bitter smile. "Aye, in some ways they are. And in others, my lord, things have yet to change at all."

But there was really nothing he could do about it short of starting a rebellion himself. His family had been of the gentry, wealthy land owners who weren't quite like nobles but still well-bred enough to be considered of gentle birth. This had allowed him an easier time of being accepted into the knighthood, while those of common birth, like Cyrus, had to fight tooth and nail against the rigid caste system. It had always seemed terribly unfair to judge a man by his blood. Frog had seen enough people talk of honor and righteousness without possessing a shred of it themselves.

_Magus._

Oh yes, by god, he had.

With a sigh, he examined himself one more time in the mirror. He still looked like an idiot, but the mask did add a little something extra to the costume, making the disguise seem more complete. No one would believe that he was merely a frog now.

_Even I have a hard time acknowledging that this creature be me_, he thought to himself. _But if this be the only way to get close to Lucca, so be it. I shall do whatever I must, and bare my heart to her. The hand of Lady Lucca shall belong to me alone!_

The pitcher by the wash basin was empty, so he had to choke down the pills with a dry throat. They tasted awful, and left a powdery residue on his tongue.

"'Tis a property of all medicines to taste insufferable," he commented with a pained expression. But the Chancellor had been correct. The pills took effect almost immediately, and soon he was able to move his injured arm about with almost no discomfort whatsoever. Whatever else might happen this evening, at least he wouldn't be suffering from a handicap.

--

Finding his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the castle wasn't hard, and Frog sent a silent prayer of thanks to the architects who had decided not to change much of anything between his time and Crono's.

His shoes made comical squishy sounds as he walked, and the desire to kill himself and save his honor was high as he made his way out into the throne room.

He hesitated in the archway. There were so many people! Far more now than when he had first arrived.

'_Tis a feast, after all,_ he reminded himself sternly. _What were thy expectations?_

Well in truth, he had been hoping that he wouldn't have to be seen by much of anyone. Seeing all the swirling dresses, the flash of rings and the white undersides of long-tailed frock coats made him feel sick to his stomach. He had never been one for large gatherings. He mingled with the nobility of Guardia only when his duties as a Knight required him to come in contact, not out of any sense of kinship with them. And even then, he'd always had Cyrus by his side for moral support.

But now, here he was being forced to not only interact with them, but to _entertain_ them as well.

_Perhaps I might slip by unnoticed. If I find the fair Lucca in haste, mayhap I might speak with her alone, and discard these ignoble trappings._ Though seeing how tightly packed the room was, he seriously doubted success with that plan.

There was no help for it. He would just have to plow right on in and hope he didn't embarrass himself too much.

At first, no one seemed to even notice him. His warrior's reflexes allowed him to weave in and out between people without so much as brushing their sleeves. He kept his ears open, listening for the melodic sound of Lucca's voice.

"You, there! Jester!"

Frog froze in mid-step, a cold sweat breaking out under his frivolous attire. _Please, do not let them be speaking to me!_

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder, spinning him around. He found himself staring up into the eyes of a much taller, dark-haired man. He was accompanied by two giggling young women. If asked later what these women looked like, Frog could only respond that the one on the right was brunette, the other with hair as deep a red as Crono's. As it was, his mind went blank, and words slipped from his grasp. He could only stare at the nobles with horror, desperately thinking of what to say and how to act.

"Thank goodness," the nobleman went on, draping his arms around the shoulders of his companions. "I was dying of boredom, here! At least his Majesty thought to provide us with some entertainment."

"Yes, dancing takes too much effort. My poor little feet will be quite sore and swollen in the morning," said the red-headed woman under the man's left arm. She jabbed her closed fan in Frog's direction. "Well, don't just stand there like a dullard. Do something funny for us."

"I think he's funny enough as it is," replied the woman on the right. She leaned closer and squinted her eyes. "What exactly are you supposed to be? Some sort of festive lizard?"

"I am a frog, madam, not a lizard," Frog answered somewhat stiffly.

"Oh, yes! I see it now!" Though, he wasn't sure if she really _did_ see it, or if she were just agreeing with him. "So, do some tricks for us!"

"Uh…" Frog glanced around helplessly at the nobles. They were all looking at him, expecting him to do something breathtaking or comedic. Playing for time, he asked, "What didst thou have in mind?"

The women gave a delighted murmur, and though he wasn't sure why, they applauded.

"Marvelous!" the nobleman crowed. "How long did it take you to learn to speak like that?"

Taken aback, Frog blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what exactly was going on. "Since I was first able to speak, my lord."

The brunette fanned herself with a plume of colorful feathers. "Ah, what an actor won't do for his craft! I have heard that some theater troupes train in the art of stage performance from a young age." From the way she said it, it was apparent that she was trying to sound knowledgeable about the subject.

Frog wasn't sure how to react to all of this. _I see. They think that my speech is but a facet of this character they believe me to be playing. For their part, they know me as nothing more than a buffoon in a silly costume._

"Enough talking," pouted the red-head. She snuggled closer to the nobleman, and batted her eyelashes at him. "I'm still bored. Make the clown turn somersaults or something."

Under his mask, Frog blanched. He really didn't want to go springing all over the place. Even before his days as a frog, he knew he was clumsy at best. The last thing he wanted was to back-flip right into the punch bowl, or accidentally land on a dancing couple.

"No, that's stupid!" declared the brunette. She also batted her eyelashes at the nobleman, and hugged his arm tightly. "Make the clown do some juggling for us!"

The nobleman looked between his two "dates", then to Frog. "Well, Master Clown? Can you do any tricks to satisfy my ladies' desires?"

"Well, I…um…" Frog wracked his brain. _Think, you fool! There must be something that thou canst do to entertain them?_

And then it hit him. It wasn't the best trick in the world, but maybe it would satisfy them enough to go away.

Putting his hands together, Frog concentrated his powers. A shiny turquoise bubble the size of an orange appeared between his palms. Quickly, he made two more and began to juggle them. Though he was in no way adept at juggling clubs or knives, bubbles were lighter than a handkerchief and much easier to catch. He spun them about, making the bubbles dance through the air and roll off his shoulders and the backs of his knuckles to the delight of his audience.

Drawn by the appreciative applause that followed, more guests soon crowded around him to watch the show.

He made more bubbles, setting them to spinning on their own through the air creating patterns and fantastical shapes. He even went so far as to decorate the nobleman's ladies with gem-like spheres of water that glittered in their hair and across their necks like a string of sapphires.

"How did you do that?" the red-head demanded. She touched the bubbles in her hair, pulling one of them free. She held it in her palm and squeezed it as hard as her delicate white fingers could manage. "It's amazing! They don't break!"

"T'is a simple feat," Frog replied, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Nothing more than a parlor trick." He tossed the bubbles in the air one last time. "However, a good performer never divulges his secrets. And as fast as they appear-" He popped the bubbles one at a time with the tip of a finger.

"Aww!" The red-head pouted again as her bubbles and those of the brunette burst in a fine spray of blue mist and were gone. "That's no fun! I wanted to keep mine."

The nobleman laughed and hugged his ladies closer. "Now, why would you want to do that? If it's shiny blue baubles you want, I'll buy you a barrel full of them!" The women squealed in excitement as he led them away, Frog and his bubbles already out of their minds.

Seeing that his tricks were through for the moment, the crowd dispersed as well.

The amphibian breathed a sigh of relief. All of a sudden, his legs felt like they would collapse out from under him. The whole ordeal had left him more than a little shaken. He didn't even want to consider the reaction if the nobles hadn't enjoyed his show.

What he needed was a glass of punch. That would calm his nerves.

Making his way around through the crowd was even easier the second time around. Nobody accosted him for tricks. In fact, nobody spared him more than a second glance.

--

Lucca had to admit one thing to herself as Magus waltzed with her across the ballroom floor. For all of his power, for all of his dark mystery and condescension, the prince of Zeal was a lousy dancer. He didn't step on her toes, which was a blessing, but he kept missing steps every few beats and would stumble to keep up.

"You know," she began after his third consecutive stumble, "I thought you'd be better at this."

Stony silence greeted her, but she had expected a response like that. Magus only talked when he had something snide to say.

The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "Maybe if you stopped rubbernecking and paid attention to the music, you wouldn't be having this problem."

Magus finally looked at her, and his expression was irritated. "Do you have to talk so much? Can't you just enjoy the dance?"

"I'd enjoy it a lot more if you didn't wobble all over the place like a marionette."

"And I'd enjoy it if I didn't have to listen to another complaint."

Lucca turned her nose up at him. "Fine. I won't say another word."

"That'll be the day."

_He's so rude_, she thought. Still, he seemed done with whatever it was he had been doing, as he focused more on her and the dance. This made things go much more smoothly.

"So, what were you looking for?"

Magus rolled his eyes. "I thought we had agreed on dancing in silence?"

Lucca cocked her head to one side. "Don't you think that's kind of abnormal? I mean, look at everyone else. They're managing okay. Or can't you talk and dance at the same time?" She giggled. "Imagine that. The mighty Magus doesn't have the coordination to—"

"You're so annoying!" He gave her a dip for the hell of it and was gratified to hear her squeak of protest. He wasn't so happy about her nails digging into his arms as she fought to remain upright.

"Don't do that without warning me first!"

"I'm here on a mission. Dancing with you is the last thing on my mind right now." He pulled her upright again. "Better?"

She glared at him, a bit out of breath from the sudden motion. "I thought for sure you'd drop me."

"Don't tempt me."

"Jerk."

Magus's reply was a lazy, wordless smirk as he continued to awkwardly twirl her about the dance floor. Somehow, his lack of verbal response was more irritating than if he'd actually said something rude, and it bothered Lucca to no end that everyone else in the room seemed to have a decent conversationalist as a dance partner. Why, oh why, had she agreed to dance with this arrogant bastard?

_Almost makes me wish for the plant again,_ Lucca huffed to herself. _At least it knew what __**not**__ to say._

The dance finally came to an end with all couples bowing or curtsying to each other. Lucca half expected Magus to cut and run as soon as the last strains of the violin died away, but surprisingly enough, he took her arm and steered her back to the outskirts of the room.

"Thank you," she muttered, but he wasn't paying attention to her again. He was watching the lords and ladies as they evacuated the dance floor and began heading towards the banquet hall to be seated for the feast.

Seeing the wizard's serious expression, however blurry, she bit her lower lip. "I guess I owe you an apology."

"Hmm?"

"Now that I think about it, I can understand why you're preoccupied. This isn't really your fight. You, or Frog, for that matter. You both have your own lives to live now. Crono shouldn't have gotten you guys involved."

Magus shook his head. "You just can't shut up for five minutes, can you?"

"Don't change the subject!" Lucca lowered her voice. "I already know what's going on, so don't treat me like I'm dumb, all right?"

There was bored contempt in Magus's voice as he asked, "And just what is it that you think you know?"

"Oh, come on! Give me a little credit, here. It's obvious what your 'mission' is. Crono's been acting strange for the past few days. I finally asked him what was going on, and he told me."

Magus shrugged. "I have my own reasons for being here. If helping Crono will further my agenda, then I'm not adverse to being thrown into situations I'd otherwise avoid. As for Froggy, I think we all know _his_ reasons for helping out." His lip curled in a sneer at the mere mention of the irritating knight.

Lucca felt a little dizzy. She swallowed and took a deep breath to steady herself. "Maybe I underestimated how serious this could get."

Magus rolled his eyes. "If you're so worried about what might happen, then don't get involved. Let Crono handle things by himself. It's not your problem, anyway."

"Are you kidding? I could never abandon Crono when he needs me the most! That's not what friends do. You stick together, even if you have to put your life on the line or do something you'd rather not do."

Magus rolled his eyes. "Your devotion to your friend is touching. I think I may gag. I'm going to dinner before you make me lose my appetite."

Lucca gave him her patented "glare of death". "Yeah, you do that. I hope you choke on a chicken bone."

"You and Frog, both. Speaking of which, head over towards that garish blob of colors by the punch bowl." He pointed off to one side of the room. "Your green knight in shining armor is trying to get your attention." Raising his voice, he called, "Your turn." Then, without any further words he spun about on his heel, and followed the last few stragglers into the banquet hall without waiting to see if she would do as he said or not.

"What are you talking about?" The inventor looked about. Sure enough, there was a vastly distorted blur of colors waving about. It didn't look anything like Frog. It had to be some sort of party decoration. Flashbacks of the gently swaying plant filled her mind and she turned red.

"That's not funny!" she shouted at the warlock's retreating back. "I can't believe you'd say something like that! I've already had enough of looking like an idiot for one night, thank you very much." Stomping her foot, Lucca trailed after him, fuming.

--

He'd watched them dancing and felt the hard knot of jealousy rocking back and forth in his stomach. Oh, how he'd wanted to just walk over there, all smooth and confident, and say, "Dost thou mind if _I_ cut in?"

But Frog knew that would never work. For one thing, he couldn't dance very well. Certainly better than Magus, he liked to think, but he was also much shorter than Lucca. It didn't seem proper for his eyes to be--and here he blushed--chest high.

Besides which, Lucca looked so beautiful in her gown and he looked ridiculous in his own attire. They would have made a mismatched pair, so much so that every eye in the room would have been leveled on them, and he couldn't bring such shame or embarrassment to her.

So, he'd waited. Waited and watched while Magus, his most hated enemy, got to put his hand on Lucca's slender waist and held her hand, palm to palm, in his other. The warlock danced inelegantly, and that was some small comfort to the amphibian. But it was so bitterly unfair that Magus, of all people, should be able to share that brief intimacy with the lavender-haired inventor instead of him.

The waltz had seemed to go on forever, but when it was done, Magus had noticed him standing all alone by the punch bowl, waving to try to get Lucca's attention. Their eyes had locked, and Frog hoped that he didn't look as forlorn as he felt.

"Your turn," the warlock had called, and the bastard had sounded so…indifferent about it. As if he'd already won.

_Well, thou art sadly mistaken. The other guests have departed and now I shall bare my heart to fair Lucca. _

This was it! She was looking his way! Any moment, she would begin walking closer to him and then he could tell her--

"I've already had enough of looking like an idiot for one night, thank you very much." Lucca had said this vehemently, and followed Magus without a backwards glance in his direction.

Frog felt like a black hole had opened up under him and he was falling into it, spiraling down into a despair of the deepest black.

Standing alone while servants began to file in to clear away the refreshments, the discontented knight plucked at the front of his clothes. "'Tis the outfit," he muttered to no one in particular. "I am quite sure of it."


End file.
